West Ham set to sign Max Kilman in £40MILLION transfer from Wolves – with non-league side set for incredible windfall
WEST HAM are set to sign Wolves captain Max Kilman after agreeing a £40million deal.
New Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui made the defender a top priority ahead of his first season in charge at the London Stadium.
Lopetegui made Kilman, 27, Wolves captain during his stint at Molineux and is keen to bolster the defence at West Ham.
He was a target for David Moyes last summer too but a deal could not be agreed.
The defender is expected to sign a six-year deal in East London.
Manchester United and Tottenham made enquiries about his availability, while Newcastle also saw a bid rejected.
West Ham had initially seen a bid of £30m rejected for Kilman before going above their original limit of £35m.
Wolves had been pushing up the price as they owe National League side Maidenhead United 10 per cent of the profit of any deal, with Kilman having joined from the club for £40,000.
The sell-on clause was negotiated down from the original 20 per cent as Wolves would have demanded even more for their skipper had it remained so high, which would have made a move impossible.
It means Maidenhead are set to receive £4m from the deal.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
West Ham want to sign two central defenders this summer as well as a right-back.
The Hammers have not ruled out signing Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo as well as Kilman, having had a £25m bid rejected this week.
That, however, would likely require players leaving before a deal could be struck.
Man Utd’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka is one of a number of targets being considered at right-back after Ben Johnson joined Ipswich on a free transfer.
Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters is also on the list of potential new signings.
Kilman signed a new deal with Wolves back in August to keep him tied down until 2028.
He became a professional footballer having already represented England in futsal.
Kilman made his international futsal debut at just 18 years old and racked up 25 appearances for his country.
SUNSPORT'S TRANSFER NEWS LIVE
STAY in the know this summer with The Sun's transfer experts.
Tottenham have completed a £30million deal to sign Leeds youngster Archie Gray.
Manchester United are hiring a transfer guru who’s overseen some mega spends in the past.
Chelsea have agreed a £28m deal with Leicester for midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Follow our LIVE TRANSFER BLOG for all the latest deals, gossip and exclusives.