Now, there has been no shortage of hand-wringing in Italy about the growing financial gap between Serie A and the Premier League.
The departures of Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal, Guglielmo Vicario to Tottenham, and Sandro Tonali to Newcastle United left many a pundit frustrated and facing something of an existential crisis as to the strength of their beloved league.
The sight of Juventus losing out to the team which finished ninth in England’s top flight last term, then, felt like another slap in Serie A’s face.
With Juve stuck in the mud – unable to move financially and seeing a lowball bid rejected – West Ham seized the chance to add the talented Todibo to an ever-improving squad on Saturday morning.“You can’t compete with Premier League clubs,” is the assessment of former Italy midfielder Antonio di Gennaro, speaking to Tuttomercatoweb. “Even lower-ranking teams can invest a lot.
Their eventual success, then, is a victory for perseverance with sporting director Tim Steidten again travelling out to hold face-to-face talks, like he did when convincing Edson Alvarez and Edson Alvarez to leave Ajax in the summer of 2023.
The deal is an initial loan one, albeit with a £33 million obligation-to-buy clause in Todibo’s contract, HITC understands.I am really excited to be signing for West Ham United,” Todibo tells the club’s official website. “It is a dream come true to play in the Premier League, the best league in the world.
“This is an amazing opportunity for me, at a club with huge ambition, who want to really make progress under the new head coach.It feels like the right time to be coming to West Ham, in the heart of London, with an amazing, passionate fan-base. I’m so excited to pull on the West Ham shirt, and play at the London Stadium in the Premier League.”
“This is another significant signing for the Football Club and shows the attraction of West Ham for top players in Europe,”
“It’s no secret that Jean-Clair is a player we’ve been tracking for some time, so we’re delighted to have got this signing over the line ahead of the start of the new season,” Steidten beams.
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