Ghana’s Andre Ayew looks set to complete a much-talked about switch between English Premier League sides Swansea City and West Ham United, managers of both sides have strongly hinted.
Ayew will be making a rare move should a deal to the London club materialize – arriving on a free from the French league and getting sold after an impressive debut season for a reported £20 million fee.
Swansea boss Francesco Gudiolin who has severally denied receiving any bid for the 26-year-old Black Stars deputy captain over the past weeks finally confirmed on Saturday that the forward is set to complete a move to West Ham.
The Ghanaian sat out of Saturday’s final pre-season friendly win over Stade Rennais and it has emerged the club’s double deal move to land Spanish duo Fernando Llorente and Borja Baston are indeed signals to the end of Ayew’s time in South Wales
Swansea were always prepared to cash-in on the Ghana ace if a big enough offer arrived on the table – just like West Ham’s reported offer. It is said to be a minimum of £15m and could rise as high as £20m.
After Saturday’s game, Guidolin said on Ayew: “At the moment nothing is agreed but I know there is this possibility and tomorrow or later we can understand some more.”
Meanwhile, sources say Dede Friday night was talking personal terms with the Hammers about a four-year deal.
Dede almost a Hammer – Bilic
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic over the weekend confirmed in his press conference that both Andre Ayew and Olympiakos left-back Arthur Masuaku are “very close” to joining West Ham before they begin their Premier League season next Monday away to Chelsea.
Speaking before West Ham’s Betway Cup pre-season friendly against Juventus at the London Stadium, Bilic said the deal is all but done.
He said on BT Sport: “We are very close to signing a couple of players and that’s it.”
“When I said a few days ago that we are expecting to get five players I didn’t mean five new players – but players like Payet, Lanzini and Cresswell who are going to be back.
“We are very close to signing Andre Ayew from Swansea and we are very close to signing Arthur Masuaku, the French left back from Olympiakos. It’s almost done, but until it’s done it’s never done.
“We are trying to get quality players but we have marquee players, Feghouli is a marquee player, Tore is a marquee player. Andre Ayew is a big time marquee player. It doesn’t have to be someone for 70 or 80million, we can’t afford it.
“But we are close to signing a couple of them; if those two players come then I’m quite happy with my squad.”
-GHOneTV