West Ham, Arsenal And United On Alert As Senegalese Ace Is Left Out Of Club’s Opening League Game

Abdallah Sima did not make the matchday squad as Slavia Prague started their league campaign with a 1-0 win over Zlin on Sunday.

Multiple sources in the English media claim that West Ham manager David Moyes is continuing to monitor the Senegalese forward, while both Arsenal and Manchester United have been linked with the 20-year-old over the past year.

It is not known if Sima was simply left out due to a fitness problem or whether a transfer is close to being finalised. Slavia’s manager Jindrich Trpisovsky claimed recently that the Hammers’ interest could lead to the player’s departure:

“Abdallah Sima and [fellow Slavia player] Peter Olayinka could leave, so you have to prepare for that eventuality. We spoke to West Ham and they told us they put Sima very high on the list of their possible reinforcements.”

Whether that actually means West Ham have firmed up their interest with a formal bid, it remains to be seen. There were claims back in December that Slavia value the player at around £50m but if that truly is the case, the Irons would not be interested.

They are also targeting Tammy Abraham but they are even reluctant to match Chelsea’s £40m asking price, so Sima must be available for below that amount.