Hans Vanaken is ready to consider a move to the Premier League, but Club Brugge will not sell the Belgium international to West Ham United for £25m. Het Laaste Nieuws.
The best clubs in Belgian football are used to losing their star players every year. But after selling star man Charles de Ketelaer to AC Milan, influential centre-back Stanley Nsoki and several other players who helped secure the Jupiler League title last season, Vanaken feels one departure is too many.
Fellow veteran Ruud Wormer, in particular, is also potentially out of the gate. And that’s without mentioning the highly coveted Noah Lang.
according to Het Belang van Limburg, West Ham made a £9m opening bid without a second thought. HLN adds that Club Brugge won’t even accept £25m – more than double the fee West Ham offered when they first tried to buy Vanake back in 2020.
Hans Vanaken is interested in a move to West Ham United
At 29 years of age and time behind him, the two-time Belgian Footballer of the Year is keen on the opportunity to play Premier League football at the peak of his powers. Vanaken tells HLN that West Ham are “ready to listen”.
But if he closes the door, Club Brugge closes it again. When it is viewed as “unimportant”, it is simply too important and too effective to pass up. Moreover, Vanaken is the clear favorite to take over the captain’s armband if Vormer leaves.
“We were in the crown period at the time and there was Brexit,” Vanaken said a few weeks ago, explaining why he didn’t join David Moyes’ West Ham side two years ago. “This made it easier to go to London.
“Of course, my wife and I talked about it. We liked the city of London. Club Brugge had already rejected two offers when they first heard that West Ham were indeed concrete.
“Then they also offered me a new contract and I stayed.”
One of the most prolific goalscoring midfielders around, Vanaken has hit double figures every season since 2010/11. He scored more than 100 goals in 332 Club Brugge games.
“I have never seen such a great player with such a technique,” said former teammate Onur Kaya Sport/Voetbalmagazine 2020.
“The special thing about Hans is that he has the legs of a 1m70 player. You can say that it is not pleasant to watch, it is a little slow, but it has extraordinary intelligence. To be honest, I think he is stronger than Dele Alli at Tottenham.”
In other news, Report: Everton could now sell ‘explosive’ Tottenham target to Chelsea
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