Sporting Director Provides Update As £27m Rated West Ham Target Stalls On New Contract

Sporting Director Provides Update As £27m Rated West Ham Target Stalls On New Contract

Athletic Bilbao sporting director Rafael Alkorta has revealed that defender Unai Nunez has yet to put pen to paper on a new deal, with the La Liga side still awaiting a decision from the player.

West Ham reportedly were prepared to pay the 23-year-old’s €30m (£27m) release clause in January, while the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan are also monitoring his situation.

Alkorta says Athletic are keen for Nunez to stay at the club but the decision is very much out of their hands:

“The only thing we know is that he has a contract until 2023. We have already made our proposal and we are waiting. We would love for him to continue with us, he is a boy with a lot of potential.”



“We will continue to wait with the calm that gives us that he has three more years [on his] contract.”

Whether the Hammers are still interested in the Spanish international, it remains to be seen. Manager David Moyes could do with strengthening his options at centre-back.

Winston Reid is unlikely to return to the first team following his loan spell in the United States, while Fabian Balbuena has struggled for form this campaign.

However, the financial impact of the global health crisis means the likelihood of West Ham shelling out £26m is pretty low.