The transfer hijack that could see West Ham or Nottingham Forest snatch AC Milan transfer target

Go back a couple of weeks, and it looked for all the world as though West Ham United and Nottingham Forest were jointly being forced to give up on a transfer deal that both had been working optimistically towards all summer – the signing of Club Brugge midfielder Ardon Jashari.

Earlier in July, a number of sources including Fabrizio Romano reported that the 22-year-old Switzerland international had rejected both West Ham and Forest’s overtures in order to focus on a move to AC Milan. Jashari’s move to the San Siro began to look like a formality. But now, that transfer is in trouble, and the two Premier League sides could get a second bite of the cherry…

Why West Ham & Nottingham Forest could still sign Ardon Jashari

Negotiations between Milan and Brugge haven’t been going especially smoothly, and according to a report in Gazzetta dello Sport on Sunday, the Serie A side have made a third and final offer to their Belgian counterparts after seeing two initial bids rejected.

The second bid, reportedly worth a total of €35.5m (£30.8m), was only €1m more than the first bid made and while the size of third offer is presently unknown, Football Italia claim that it, too, has been turned down with Brugge apparently left “upset” with Milan director Igli Tare over the negotiations.

As a result, Jashari’s move is very much in danger. He may have decided to move to Italy but if Milan stand firm and refuse to increase their bid yet again, then it would appear as though the deal will collapse entirely with the relationship between the two sides starting to look distinctly strained.

Should the deal with Milan fall through, then, West Ham and Nottingham Forest will be handed an unexpected lifeline. It seems out of the question that the midfielder will stay with Brugge – he has made it clear that he wants to leave Belgium, skipped a pre-season training camp in London and has even been training alone – and if Milan is off the table, then he has to go somewhere.

And while Milan may still enjoy enough prestige to have made themselves Jashari’s first choice, West Ham and Forest enjoy one advantage of their Italian counterparts – Premier League money. However far short of Brugge’s asking price Milan are right now - it’s believed that the Belgians want something more like £35m - the two English sides will probably be able to make up the difference.

There are no reports, as yet, that either side have tried to shoehorn themselves into the bidding, but they will both be keeping a keen eye on what seem to be the final days or even hours of discussions between Brugge and Milan. If the deal does indeed die, then don’t be surprised if both Premier League teams spring rapidly into action.

Why Jashari would be perfect for West Ham in particular

Jashari is that rarest of things in the modern game – a deep-lying playmaker, a player loosely in the Andrea Pirlo mould whose vision and precise passing range allow him to dictate matches from central areas and to generate chances.

A highly technical player whose misplaces few passes and pulls off dangerous long-range balls on a regular basis, Jashari (who has also previously been linked with Manchester United) isn’t necessarily as rugged or as efficient in defence as most deeper midfielders are expected to be these days, but would undeniably suit a possession-based team down to the ground.

That perhaps makes the link to Nottingham Forest a little unusual given that he wouldn’t exactly be expected to hunt for ways to win the ball back in the same way that an Elliot Anderson might, but his ability to get the ball quickly and crisply downfield means that he would add another angle to Nuno Espirito Santo’s counter-attacking style.

But he seems more naturally suited to Graham Potter’s methods, which have generally prioritised control of the ball and the retention of possession. Jashari has the skill to keep the ball moving and away from the opposing team – he’s a better ball-carrier than most players in the Pirlo mould and doesn’t give possession away often – but also the creative flair to invigorate an inconsistent West Ham attack. One of the ways in which any serious comparison to Pirlo breaks down is in the fact that Jashari is perhaps more dynamic off the ball, looking for half-spaces in channels down the left at Brugge and pushing possession forward on and off the ball in a more energetic manner than the great Italian.

As is always the case with younger players coming to the top level from less prestigious leagues, there are also reasonable questions to be asked about his ability to step up and to handle the pace and physicality of the very highest tier of the game – but there is every reason that Jashari became a major target for Milan and that he broke into the Swiss national side. Some very good judges of talent believe that he will be able to take his next steps without stumbling.

As it stands, Jashari will still be left hoping that Milan make a fourth offer and bring the tortuous negotiations to a successful conclusion – but if that hope fades, he may have to settle for the London Stadium or the City Ground. The San Siro’s loss could easily be a very significant gain for two teams looking to improve next season.