West Ham and Brighton both “wanted” Cole Palmer prior to his transfer from Manchester City to Chelsea on deadline day last month, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Writing in his Daily Briefing Substack column, the journalist said that the Hammers were keen on signing the 21-year-old but Chelsea were the only team to meet the player’s substantial asking price:

“It’s important to give credit to Chelsea for the signing of Cole Palmer because he’s been fantastic. West Ham and Brighton also wanted Palmer this summer, but Chelsea were ready to pay a big amount of money to Man City to make it happen, and it made the difference.”

Chelsea reportedly paid £42.5m for Palmer, who has gone on to score 2 goals in his first 7 appearances for his new club.

West Ham bought an alternative target for a similar fee

Considering Palmer and Mohammed Kudus play in similar positions, it is more than likely that David Moyes’ side decided to pursue the signature of the Ajax winger instead once it became clear that Palmer wasn’t an option.

Kudus ended up costing around €44.5m (£38m), which is less than Palmer (excluding add-ons), and it will be interesting to see which player has more success in the Premier League this season.

Moyes could sign a Chelsea player in January

It is believed that the Irons are keen on recruiting left-back Ian Maatsen from the Blues. While the Dutchman’s contract has recently been extended until the end of next season, he has been reluctant to put pen to paper on a longer-term deal.

Therefore, a sale during the January transfer window remains a possibility. Maatsen would be a useful addition to West Ham’s squad, with the club looking for cover for Emerson Palmieri if, as expected, Aaron Cresswell leaves the London Stadium.

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