West Ham hope to ‘hijack’ Arsenal deal for new left-back

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The Football Faithful

·27 February 2025

West Ham hope to ‘hijack’ Arsenal deal for new left-back

West Ham United are hoping to hijack Arsenal’s move to sign Club Brugge defender Maxim De Cuyper.

De Cuyper has caught the eye during Club Brugge’s run to the Champions League’s Round of 16. The left-back has one goal and six assists in 38 appearances this season and is on the radar of Premier League clubs ahead of the summer.

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Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign De Cuyper of late, with Oleksandr Zinchenko set to move on in the summer. De Cuyper has also operated at right-back and has won six caps for Belgium at international level.

However, Italian outlet Tuttosport claim West Ham will rival their London neighbours, AC Milan and Juventus for the player’s signature. With Aaron Cresswell out of contract in the summer and Emerson Palmieri set to turn 31 in August, West Ham are looking at De Cuyper as an option.

The Hammers hope the promise of regular first-team football can persuade Cuyper to turn down European sides in favour of the London Stadium. He is valued at around €25m by the Belgian side.

Graham Potter is planning an overhaul of his squad at the end of the campaign, having inherited a struggling side. West Ham are 16th in the table and a poor defensive record has contributed to their plight. Only the bottom three and Wolves have conceded more Premier League goals than the Hammers so far this season.

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