West Ham United have registered an interest in Bayer Leverkusen forward Amine Adli and are weighing up the prospect of bringing him to East London this summer.
However, French journalist Julien Laurens claims that the Hammers will face serious competition from Premier League rivals Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
According to Laurens, Wolves are further ahead than West Ham and Sunderland, having already tabled an offer for the Moroccan forward.
Premier League newcomers Sunderland are the latest club linked with a move for Adli, but they have their hands full at the moment.
The Black Cats are in the process of completing a deal to sign former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka from Leverkusen and will use that opportunity to potentially broker a deal for Adli.
They haven’t made any moves for the 25-year-old forward, so West Ham still have time to swoop in.
Adli open to Premier League move
If West Ham are serious about Adli, they’ll need to move fast to stand a chance.
Adli was a part of the Bayer Leverkusen that stunned the Bundesliga by snatching the crown from the tight grip of Bayern Munich in the 2023/24 campaign.
However, the former Toulouse academy graduate is ready to take on a fresh challenge this summer, and the Premier League could be his next destination.
“The departures of [Florian] Wirtz, [Jonathan] Tah, and [Jeremie] Frimpong signal the beginning of a new era,” Adli said. “I was very close to the three of them in the locker room.
“Bayer is an extraordinary club, but after four years and so many emotions, I think it’s normal to ask yourself questions about your future.
“Should I leave and discover something new? It’s legitimate to ask yourself these questions, especially when you’re starting a new cycle.”
West Ham are in the market for a Mohammed Kudus replacement after sanctioning his big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur, and Adli is on their radar.
He’s not the most prolific goalscorer, but he has bagged 23 goals and 24 assists in 142 games for Leverkusen.
West Ham are firmly in the race, but Adli could be tempted by the prospect of reuniting with Xhaka if he finalises a move to Sunderland.