West Ham are now turning attentions towards a new right-back as talks to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Manchester United stall.
The Hammers looked set to sign Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich before Manchester United swooped in.
That development led West Ham to look at Wan-Bissaka, and it was claimed that a £15m deal was not far away.
However – according to Florian Plettenburg of Sky Germany – West Ham are struggling to find an agreement with the Londoner and Manchester United.
So, who could West Ham now sign instead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka? Let’s take a look…
West Ham want Marc Pubill
A story from AS Roma Live in Italy now claims that West Ham want to sign Marc Pubill after Julen Lopetegui recommended his fellow countryman.
The Almeria No.18 – who the Spanish outfit signed from Levante back in August 2023 – has become a target for West Ham in the last few days, according to the Italian news outlet.
That strongly suggests something has caused the Irons to explore alternatives to Wan-Bissaka.
Newcastle are also believed to be keen on signing Pubill this summer.
AS Roma Live state that Roma are hoping to sign the Spain U23 international once a deal for Artem Dovbyk – a striker West Ham have also looked at – is complete, although new interest from the Irons has thrown a spanner in the works.
Julen Lopetegui could sign a crossing expert
If West Ham end up signing Pubill this summer, it could be a move that delights the attackers at the London Stadium.
The 21-year-old has been described as “great at crossing” in Almeria’s announcement of his arrival in 2023, with that article also stating that the man from Terrassa is a “powerful and fast” defender.
Of course, Wan-Bissaka would arrive at the London Stadium with plenty of Premier League experience – 172 appearances in the competition, to be exact – although Pubill certainly seems to be the more exciting option, while also being five years younger.
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Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as West Ham enter the race to sign the Spaniard.