"A chance…": Ex drops exciting West Ham transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing - opinion

All hope may not be lost in West Ham United’s bid to sign Leeds United winger Raphinha, according to ExWHUemployee.

As per the club insider, the Hammers could still be in the running for the Brazilian this summer, despite persistent speculation that the 25-year-old is set to join Barcelona.

Asked whether the east Londoners are one of the sides interested in the player, following an update from Fabrizio Romano, the West Ham source offered his view on the forward potentially arriving at the London Stadium, revealing on Twitter that: “We were keen in January so I guess there is a chance but we bid a lot less than £55m I believe.”

The suggestion had been in the winter that GSB had placed a club-record bid to try and prize the seven-cap gem from Elland Road, while David Moyes and co also reportedly failed with a £50m offer for teammate Kalvin Phillips.

This latest claim will have reinvigorated hope among supporters that the former Rennes man could be pulling on a claret and blue jersey next term, with the £63k-per-week trickster seemingly the type of player that the Hammers faithful would simply worship.

While something of a maverick, the one-time Sporting man has been a largely consistent figure for his current side in recent seasons, having been signed by former boss Marcelo Bielsa on a £17m deal back in the summer of 2020.

Since then, the £40.5m-rated wide man has scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists in just 65 Premier League games, with 11 of those goals having come in the recent campaign despite what was a gruelling season in which the Yorkshire outfit only just staved off the drop.

Raphinha had been pivotal in ensuring survival for his side, notably netting a crucial penalty on the final day away at Brentford, before