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| David Raum of Germany during the UEFA Nations League match between Germany and Italy at Borussia-Park on June 14, 2022 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. |
Newcastle United have entered the race to sign
Hoffenheim defender David Raum and will rival West Ham United for his
signature.
According to German publication BILD, West Ham United have been joined by
Newcastle United in the race to sign Hoffenheim left-back David Raum. Borussia
Dortmund are also said to be interested in the defender, making it a three-way
battle for his signing.
Raum joined Bundesliga side Hoffenheim just last
season from Greuther Furth and settled in immediately. Starting 31 league
matches for the club, the 24-year-old scored three goals and provided 13
assists, an output big enough to turn heads around Europe.
West Ham United were among the first Premier League clubs to register interest,
along with Liverpool, with the Hammers eager to strengthen the left-back
position ahead of the new season.
West Ham are set to play in the UEFA Europa
Conference League and will need squad depth to maintain consistency throughout
the campaign. David Moyes currently has the pair of Arthur Masuaku and Aaron
Creswell as his two left-backs, with the former likely to be sold. And Raum
would be seen as a replacement and an upgrade. But the London-based outfit will
have to fend off interest from other clubs.
Newcastle have recently entered the fray for the
Germany international. Eddie Howe’s side are eager to return to the
upper echelons of the English top flight under new owners. The Magpies are set
to undergo a major summer overhaul, and Raum could be a part of that.
They currently have Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummett as
their two left-back options, although the former is not favoured by the manager
while the latter’s injury record is a concern. Newcastle have signed Matt
Targett on a permanent deal, but could still add further reinforcements in the
position.
Dortmund, meanwhile, see Raum as an important
signing for the long term, but they could struggle to match Hoffenheim’s asking
price, who themselves are in no hurry to sell the defender.
As per the BILD report, the German full-back has a
€30 million release clause in his contract, but that only gets activated next
year. Moreover, he still has four years left on his contract with the
Bundesliga side, who could get convinced for a €40 million transfer fee, which
Dortmund can’t pay due to financial restraints.
This leaves the Premier League duo of Newcastle and
West Ham as favourites to sign the defender. Manchester City have also been
linked with Raum recently, and have enquired about a possible move. So, a move to England could
certainly be on the cards for the German international this summer.
