West Ham eye Norway international rated highly by Prem winner
West Ham United are said to be among a number of clubs tracking the progress of Sampdoria midfielder Morten Thorsby with a view to a summer swoop.
The 25-year-old is two years into a four-year deal with the Italian outfit. He moved to Stadio Luigi Ferraris on a free transfer in 2019 after Dutch club Heerenveen allowed his contract to expire. And the Norway international has enjoyed 50 Serie A starts among 57 appearances across two seasons with I Blucerchiati.
He was a clear favourite of Claudio Ranieri but the veteran tactician has now left the club. That has prompted speculation that Thorsby might follow suit, with interest from Germany and Italy as well.
Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) say it is ‘no coincidence that he has been evaluated several times’ by scouts from Germany. They add that ‘club intermediaries of the English Premier League, such as West Ham’ have also been involved.
It remains to be seen if he is tempted to leave Genoa and any links this time of year need to be taken with a pinch of salt. But the Hammers are in the market for a central midfielder and the Scandinavian might fit the bill.
He bagged three goals and assisted three more during the season just finished. Italian clubs have had a chance to see him operate at close quarters.
And the report states Napoli and Atalanta have ‘repeatedly studied him live with positive relationships’. Samp landed the Oslo-born star for nothing and so any fee they receive will be a profit.
But there has been no mention of the value they might place on his signature. He is under contract until the summer of 2023 and may like to continue his career with his present employers.
But David Moyes could offer him Euroepan football after West Ham finished sixth to qualify for the Europa League.
Thorsby among many names linked to London Stadium
It seems inevitable that Moyes will recruit a new striker in the off-season. He may have to wait until after the delayed European Championship as many of the top names will be involved.
Sparta Prague teenager Adam Hlozek appears to be on the radar. And he advertised his services by scoring four goals in 23 minutes against Brno on Saturday.
Blackburn Rovers prolific marksman Adam Armstrong is another option but Southampton look favourites. The East End outfit have also been linked with Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno.
He scored an amazing 30 goals in the campaign just finished and is wanted by many clubs.
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