In full offensive reconstruction, West Ham abandons the Lucas Stassin track. A decision that redistributes the cards for the young scorer of AS Saint-Etienne, very coveted on the market.
Targeted for several weeks by West Ham, Lucas Stassin will not join the Hammers. The London club, in search of a center-forward to support the new era of Graham Potter, withdrew from the file. According to the English media, the profile of the Belgian striker trained in Anderlecht had been validated internally, but the last discussions did not succeed. ASSE, relegated to Ligue 2, demanded between 15 and 20 million euros for its attacker, under contract until 2028.
This road trip does not question the potential of the player, author of a convincing season in Forez. With 12 goals and 5 assists, Stassin was one of the few offensive satisfaction of the Greens. His precision in front of the goal and his tactical maturity, at only 20 years old, fueled the interest of several European training courses, including Rennes, Lille, Lens or Benfica. However, the management of AS Saint-Étienne has a clear position: it wishes to keep Lucas Stassin and says she is not a saleswoman, unless exceptional offers.
West Ham refocuses its strategy on other tracks
By giving up Lucas Stassin, West Ham focuses on other promising profiles to rejuvenate his attack line. Three names insistently return to the British press: Evann Guessand (Nice), Emanuel Emegha (Strasbourg) and Mathias Kvistgaarden (Brøndby). Players with recognized potential, capable of registering in duration and in the dynamic style wanted by Potter.
Guessand, already followed during the last transfer window, presents a technical and mobile profile, adapted to the Premier League. Emegha, close to an agreement with Chelsea, nevertheless seems to move away from the Hammers chessboard. Kvistgaarden seduces with his sense of placement and his faculty to create danger outside the surface. For West Ham, it is a question of finding the balance between immediate impact and growth potential.
ASSE wants to keep Stassin but can it?
On the Stéphanois side, the end of the English track makes it possible to expand the perspectives. Lucas Stassin remains an important asset for ASSE, which does not wish to sell it off. The ambitious player is targeting participation in the next World with Belgium and is expected to leave the club this summer. The objective: to join an ambitious project which guarantees it playing time at the highest level.
Saint-Etienne can therefore turn to the Ligue 1 clubs and the German stables, all attentive to the evolution of the file. The transfer window is just beginning, and ASSE could well carry out a great sporting or financial operation with its young scorer.
