West Ham have had a £5million bid rejected for Bournemouth central midfielder Harry Arter, according to the Sun.
The newspaper claim that the Cherries are “angry” about the lowball offer from the east Londoners as they value the 27-year-old at over £10million.
The Sun report that Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has had to sit Arter down and explain why he wants him to remain at the club even though he has been in and out of the team in recent times.
It is said that Arter is keen on joining West Ham but there is disappointment that the bid for him has started relatively low.
He is seen as a potential successor to current skipper Mark Noble as the ‘homegrown heart’ of the team.
Good move for West Ham?
Arter is a fine Premier League midfielder can fuses grit with guile. He has been a massive part of the Bournemouth success story, making 253 appearances for the club during their remarkable jump across the divisions before they became established as a Premier League club. Noble is well into his 30s and has a limited shelf life. Arter would be a sound replacement.
This Is Futbol rating 7/10
Likely to happen?
Given the reports of an offer way below Bournemouth’s asking price, there appears some way to go before a deal can be agreed. David Moyes clearly wants a central midfielder this month, but the Hammers have plenty of targets for the position. The chances of Arter leaving the Cherries a few months ago seemed remote, especially as he penned a new contract that runs until 2021. But the Republic of Ireland international is not the first-team regular he once was, which gives West Ham hope that a deal can be done.
This Is Futbol rating 6/10