West Ham United have targeted signing Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, if they can offload Pedro Obiang, according to the London Evening Standard.
Shelvey has started just 11 of the Magpies’ Premier League games so far this season and was not included in their matchday squad for the 2-1 defeat against Chelsea on Saturday.
It’s the latest blow in what has been a season or forget for the Newcastle 26-year-old, and a far cry from all of the clamour for Gareth Southgate to include him in his World Cup squad last summer.
Sky Sports are claiming that Obiang is heading to Fiorentina and a deal is imminent, with a fee of £10 million agreed with West Ham.
The deep-lying playmaker was only on the bench for West Ham’s impressive 1-0 victory over Arsenal at the weekend, and has made 17 appearances for Manuel Pellegrini’s side this season.
The Hammers’ new signing Samir Nasri started ahead of Obiang, who joined the Londonders from Sampdoria in 2015.
West Ham are possibly looking for a replacement for the Spaniard to boost the numbers of midfielders in their squad, as Jack Wilshere continues to struggle with an ankle injury.
DEclan Rice has excelled in the heart of the Hammers’ midfield, while Mark Noble continues to be a loyal servant to the club – but an extra option in the boiler room could make Pellegrini’s life easier.
The summer sale of Cheikhou Kouyate has robbed West Ham of some extra physicality in the centre of the park, while the fans have been calling out for a ball player in this position for some time.
Shelvey could well be an exciting addition for West Ham – but the former Liverpool man has struggled with injuries and disciplinary issues throughout his career.
That said, on his day the Newcastle midfielder is a sublime distributor of the ball and he could be a creative fulcrum for an ambitious Hammers outfit.