Sky Sports reporter says West Ham target Jota 'wants to leave' Al-Ittihad

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·19 January 2024

Sky Sports reporter says West Ham target Jota 'wants to leave' Al-Ittihad

Highlights

West Ham United are "keeping an eye on" Al-Ittihad winger Jota's transfer situation with the winger keen to leave the Saudi Pro League outfit.
The ex-Celtic winger hasn't been registered in the reigning Saudi champions' squad and could look make a return to Europe this winter.
However, West Ham may be hesitant to pay Jota's reported wages of £200,000 per-week, so any deal would require him to take a pay cut at the London Stadium

West Ham United target Jota wants to leave Al-Ittihad despite only arriving in the Saudi Pro League during the 2023 summer transfer window, as Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth provides an update on a potential deal at the London Stadium.

David Moyes has enjoyed an excellent start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign but is now stretched in his resources following a spate of injuries and departures for international competitions.

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The Irons have also secured their progression to the last-16 of the Europa League, hinting that the Hammers could improve their squad depth to compete on all fronts.

Jota has endured a torrid time in Saudi Arabia following his departure from Celtic and could look to engineer a move back to Europe before the 2024 winter transfer window closes.

West Ham require forward additions as a matter of necessity as we head into the final weeks of the 2024 winter market. Earlier this month, it was revealed that striker Michail Antonio had suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, initially suffered whilst on international duty with Jamaica in November 2023.

The 33-year-old was set to play his part in West Ham’s FA Cup Third Round tie with Bristol City on 7th January, having missed almost two months of action at the London Stadium. But the experienced forward was reported to have suffered a setback after slipping in training, with the Irons eventually crashing out of the cup following a 1-0 defeat at Ashton Gate in a replay on 16th January.

Jarrod Bowen has also been out of action recently, having sustained an ankle injury in the initial cup tie with Bristol City. The England international’s layoff may not be as lengthy as first expected but has still proved costly in the Hammers’ FA Cup campaign. Meanwhile, Mohammed Kudus could be unavailable until February, having departed the London Stadium to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana.

Therefore, it’s unsurprising that Sheth has revealed that West Ham are watching Al-Ittihad’s Jota. The former Celtic man signed for the reigning Saudi Pro League champions in July 2023 but wasn’t registered in their domestic squad after the window closed.

In November 2023, transfer insider Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that Tottenham Hotspur should look into signing Jota, who was once dubbed "oustanding" by his former boss Ange Postecoglu. However, the ex-Portugal U21 international is now being monitored by Moyes’ side ahead of a potential move elsewhere in the English capital.

Dharmesh Sheth - West Ham are ‘keeping an eye’ on Jota’s situation

Sheth claims that West Ham are “keeping an eye” on Jota but believes the Irons would be reluctant to pay his reported £200,000 per-week wages in full. The Sky Sports reporter also believes the winger would happily leave Al-Ittihad this winter. Sheth told GIVEMESPORT:

“They are keeping an eye on Jota. His situation is extraordinary. He only joined Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023 for £25m on a £200,000 per-week contract. But when the Saudi Pro League window closed, he was eliminated from the squad, and he's not featured. So, he wants to go, and I think Al-Ittihad would be happy for him to leave as well, provided the deal is right. So, West Ham are just keeping an eye on that situation. They wouldn't want to be paying those kinds of wages, though, so it would require Jota to be able to take a cut in those wages.”

West Ham transfer news, including interest in Armando Broja

West Ham are yet to make their first significant signing of the 2024 winter transfer window, having already welcomed four new faces to the London Stadium during the summer market of 2023. The Irons are keen to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations and will manage their business carefully.

According to The Athletic, West Ham are interested in a deal to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja alongside Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Blues are prepared to allow the 22-year-old to leave Stamford Bridge permanently, with Christopher Nkunku expected to return from injury sooner than expected. However, The Telegraph’s Matt Law reports that Chelsea value Broja at £50m, which could deter West Ham as they look to avoid breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.

Meanwhile, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has recently told GIVEMESPORT (17th January) that Ajax winger Steven Bergwijn is a ‘top target’ for the Hammers. The former Tottenham star returned to the Netherlands during the 2022 summer transfer window but could find himself back in the Premier League before the end of the current market.