After discussions on Monday, January 29, West Ham is still trying to figure out how to get Jota from Al-Ittihad to the London Stadium in January, according to Fabrizio Romano.
On January 30, the journalist revealed via his X account that the Hammers wish to proceed with the agreement even though the negotiations are difficult because of his pay and tax implications.
It is also reported that negotiations are in progress for Said Benrahma to sign a contract with Ligue 1 team Lyon, with Jota being the most likely successor in the event that a deal is made.
A hectic last several days
Before the transfer deadline on February 1st, it may be a case of one in, one out at the London Stadium. It has been widely stated that the Hammers want players in before they let anyone go during this transfer window.
Given that Benrahma is in negotiations to leave the team, someone else would need to step in, and encouraging discussions with Jota on Monday indicate that the West Ham team wants Jota to take Benrahma’s place.
The Hammers appear to be having trouble with pay demands and tax concerns; according to a report by Jacob Steinberg on January 29, some believe that the challenge is insurmountable. Nevertheless, there seems to be acceptance in East London that those problems can wait.
As with other transfers, it doesn’t seem likely that discussions and negotiations would have started if they didn’t think there was a possibility to close the deal. They must move forward with negotiations as the transfer window is running out of days.
