Report: West Ham want to sign one of Manuel Pellegrini’s stars, Arsenal recently linked

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Italian outlet CalcioMercato have claimed that West Ham United are interested in raiding Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis loanee Emerson Royal this summer – but they may face competition from Arsenal in the coming months.

Emerson, 22, joined Real Betis on a two-year loan spell from Barcelona in the summer of 2019 – having been signed by the La Liga giants from Brazilian outfit Atletico Mineiro. He has since starred for Betis, playing 69 times.

In that time, the one-time Brazil international has had a hand in 15 goals – scoring five and creating 10 more. Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo say Arsenal are keen on the right-sided flyer – but they are not alone.

Indeed, it is believed that West Ham are now keen to sign Emerson – as are German side Bayer Leverkusen. It is unclear how much he will cost, but given his age and contract status – which lasts until 2024 – he could be costly.

TBR’s view – Harsh on Coufal…

Vladimir Coufal has been excellent for West Ham since joining the club from Slavia Prague. Bought for a bargain figure, Coufal has proven to be worth far more than the outlay – voted Czech Republic’s second best of 2020-21.

Of course, the right-back was only behind his Hammers teammate Tomas Soucek who has been sensational for the East London side. If West Ham do go after Emerson, it would be very harsh on Coufal following his recent form.