West Ham have revived their bid for River Plate right-back Gonzalo Montiel, according to TyC Sports. The Argentinian TV channel claims the Hammers have the 23-year-old “in the sights” after effectively sealing Premier League safety with their 3-1 win against Watford last night.
They report that David Moyes’ side are now “preparing an offer” in the region of $10m (£8m) to secure the fullback’s services. However, the London club’s opening bid is unlikely to be accepted by River Plate as it falls well short of the defender’s €20m (£18m) release clause.
Young defender Ben Johnson put in an impressive performance versus Watford but it is believed West Ham are keen to reinforce that area of the pitch, with Pablo Zabaleta and Jeremy Ngakia having both left the London Stadium last month.
One potential stumbling block, in addition to the transfer fee, for Montiel could be the player’s work permit. Although he does have two senior caps for Argentina, he may need special dispensation from the Premier League to get a visa.
