David Moyes has disclosed just how close he was to signing Cole Palmer last summer, and suggested that the breakdown of Lucas Paqueta’s move to Manchester City indirectly affected West Ham’s ability to secure the English star.
West Ham was in advanced talks to sign Palmer as it became evident he was leaving City during last year’s transfer window. However, they ultimately lost out to Chelsea, where the 21-year-old has thrived, scoring 20 Premier League goals this season.
Simultaneously, City was nearing an £80 million deal for Paqueta, but withdrew when the FA launched an investigation into the midfielder for potential betting violations.
As Moyes prepares his West Ham squad for a match against Stamford Bridge where Palmer is now a key player, he acknowledged that last summer’s transfer saga could have concluded differently.
“We were close, very close,” Moyes revealed. “There was also a situation here that might have facilitated the move. I was in regular contact with his agent and things were progressing well, but then the situation changed towards the end and we couldn’t finalise it.”
Considering Moyes’ general hesitancy to utilise young talent, especially from his own club, it indeed requires a stretch of the imagination to picture him integrating a young player like Palmer from another team’s academy into his squad.
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