If a report from Milan Live is believed to be true, West Ham United are eyeing a summer swoop for Fikayo Tomori to bolster their backline. But the Hammers are not alone in the race, with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur also keeping close tabs on the AC Milan centre-half, who is available for as little as £25m.
The 27-year-old Canada-born England international joined Chelsea’s esteemed academy ranks around 20 years ago. He progressed through their youth setup before making his debut in the final Premier League encounter of the 2015-16 season. Having spent the next few years on loan with Brighton & Hove Albion, Hull City and Derby County in the Championship, Tomori made 22 first-team appearances during the 2019-20 campaign.
Frank Lampard, the Blues great and then-boss, rated him highly for a stellar stint with the Rams a year before under his tutelage. However, the dismissal of the club legend made Tomori surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge. He joined the Rossoneri on loan in January 2021, and the Serie A giants exercised the option-to-buy clause by snapping him up for £25m six months later.
Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the Serie A TIM match between US Salernitana and AC Milan at Stadio Arechi on December 22, 2023, in Salerno, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Regardless of 172 appearances for AC Milan, Tomori is allowed to leave after falling behind Matteo Gabbia, Malick Thiaw and Strahinja Pavlović in the pecking order. They have planned for a summer rebuild to revive their lost status, and therefore, are open to a cut-price transfer for the Three Lions star to gather some funds.
West Ham United have survived a relegation scare, thanks to a dismal show from all three newly promoted outfits. Despite being 15 points clear of the drop zone with 4 games remaining, the Irons are 17th in the league standings, just above relegated Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton. They replaced Julen Lopetegui with Graham Potter, but the ex-Chelsea and Brighton boss could not turn things around in East London, primarily for not having players who fit in his style of play.
The Hammers have Jean-Clair Todibo, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Max Killman as the central defensive options. Neither of them has been resolute in deep defence, nor have they shown enough composure and control while playing it out from the back.
Tomori, known for his physical presence and strong tackling traits, would boost the Stratford side with expertise and experience. He is comfortable with the ball at both of his feet, thus fits in well in various defensive shapes. His ball-playing ability would help Potter execute swift attacking transitions from the back, and irrespective of a below-par campaign in Italy, the reasonable asking fee makes the move a no-brainer for West Ham.
