West Ham star Tomas Soucek ‘lined up for free transfer’ by Champions League giants as Hammers face dilemma
WEST HAM star Tomas Soucek is being lined up by Italian giants Inter Milan ahead of a possible free transfer at the end of the season, according to reports in Italy.
The Czech midfielder’s contract expires in June 2024 but West Ham do have an option to extend it by another year.
Corriere dello Sport report that West Ham will not activate the clause should Soucek make it clear that he wants to leave and that could see him join Inter on a free.
The Milan club have been active in the free agency market in recent years, bringing in Marcus Thuram, Davy Klaasen and Juan Cuadrado as free agents this summer.
In the past they have also brought in the likes of Hakan Calhanoglu, Andre Onana and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in previous years.
Inter manager Simone Inzaghi is keen to add some steel to the Inter midfield and Soucek fits the bill as a player that can not only provide solidity but score goals too.
The Czech Republic international has four goals and one assist in his 10 games for West Ham so far this season in all competitions.
The midfielder has also scored in The Hammers’ last two games against Sheffield United and Newcastle.
Soucek has undergone a revival this season after The Hammers lost Declan Rice to Arsenal in a £100million deal.
The absence of Rice has allowed Soucek to get forward again and return a similar amount of goals as he last did in the 2020/21 season.
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Since joining West Ham in January 2020, Soucek has made 165 appearances for West Ham, scoring 26 goals and becoming a fans’ favourite at The London Stadium.
Inter have won the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup in Inzaghi’s two seasons in charge – as well as reaching last year’s Champions League final which they lost to Manchester City.
Their quest for their first Scudetto since Antonio Conte led them to victory in 2021 got off to the perfect start, with the club winning their opening five games.
But they have won just one of their three games since then and go into the international break off the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Bologna.