Inside Futbol
·02 de setembro de 2025
West Ham Deadline Day Swoop Lacks Option Or Obligation

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·02 de setembro de 2025
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West Ham United‘s loan capture of defender Igor from Premier League rivals Brighton does not include an option or obligation to sign him on a permanent basis.
Igor was unwittingly the fulcrum of a deadline day saga, after Crystal Palace identified him as the man to replace Marc Guehi.
Guehi was then given permission to have his medical in London, after a £35m deal was agreed with Liverpool.
With a move to Selhurst Park looking likely for Igor, West Ham swooped in to hijack the deal after the Eagles were unable to guarantee regular game time for the defender.
Consequentially, Palace pulled the plug on Guehi’s deal, with the defender having already completed his medical, as manager Oliver Glasner threatened to resign if he was sold without a replacement being signed.
Guehi thus stayed put at Selhurst Park, with Igor heading to the London Stadium to join up with the Hammers.
West Ham did the deal in a hurry and, according to ExWHUemployee, they did not insert any option or obligation to buy into the agreement.
That means if Igor shines at West Ham, the club will need to sit down for talks with Brighton if they want to keep him.
The Seagulls signed Igor in 2023 on a four-year deal for €17m from Fiorentina.
Igor saw reduced minutes last season, as the pairing of Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke was preferred.
The Brazilian defender’s decision to join West Ham has denied Crystal Palace an opportunity to cash in on Guehi, who is entering the final year of his contract.
Liverpool, too, are left lighter than they might have wanted at the back, with Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, in particular, injury prone.
West Ham beat Nottingham Forest emphatically after an abysmal start to the season saw them lose their first three games across all competitions.
Now it remains to be seen how Igor slots in and adjusts to life as a Hammer.