Spanish midfielder Aleix Garcia has opened up about West Ham United’s interest before he joined Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.
The 27-year-old was highly coveted following his impressive campaign with Girona. He played a crucial role in helping the La Liga surprise package qualify for the Champions League.
The versatile midfielder scored three goals and provided six assists in 40 appearances across all competitions.
He was Girona’s chief tempo-setter and efficiently progressed the ball. He also created nine big chances in the league and averaged 1.6 key passes per 90 minutes.
Garcia’s profile and impressive numbers caught the attention of several clubs, including West Ham. We launched a £14 million bid to land his signature, but we couldn’t convince him to move to East London.
Garcia has admitted that he was in touch with manager Julen Lopetegui, but he wanted to play Champions League football, which scuppered our chances of landing his signature.
“I had the option of going to West Ham as it appeared in the press,” Garcia told Spanish journalist Gerard Romero (via Jijantes).
“It also caught my attention, and Lopetegui called me often.
“After achieving Champions League qualification for Girona, for me, it was a priority to play the Champions League with the money that the Premier League can give you.”
West Ham need more depth and quality in the midfield
West Ham have been active in the transfer market thus far, bolstering Lopetegui’s squad with three new signings, but we need to strengthen our options in the middle of the park.
The move for Garcia highlighted Lopetegui’s desire for a midfielder who can dictate the tempo and orchestrate attacks.
Missing out on the former Girona ace is a blow, but we can’t afford to lose sight of our midfield aspirations.
We need to scour the market for a player with a similar profile to Garcia, who can complement Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse, offering extra technical quality and control in the middle of the park.
The upcoming season promises to be fiercely competitive, and a well-rounded midfield will be paramount in achieving our goals.
Stats from Sofascore.com