West Ham facing Everton, Fulham transfer threat in race for 22-goal star | OneFootball

West Ham are among the clubs interested in sealing a move for Midtjylland sensation Franculino Dju this summer

West Ham are heading towards an extremely busy summer transfer window on all fronts, as Nuno Espirito Santo looks to build a side capable of gaining promotion out of the Championship at the very first attempt while rebuilding the squad, reducing the wage bill and recouping vital funds following relegation from the Premier League last season.

The Hammers were able to net a stunning upfront £85 million windfall earlier this week after sanctioning the sale of Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham Hotspur, and further stars are expected to join the talented Portuguese midfielder in leaving the London Stadium this summer.

Crysencio Summerville is another hot property on West Ham's books right now, and with Manchester United launching talks to bring the Dutch winger to Old Trafford after he starred under Ronald Koeman at this summer's World Cup, his departure also feels likely in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, there remains a viable chance that the likes of talismanic forward Jarrod Bowen, Taty Castellanos, El-Hadji Malick Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka - among others - could all depart East London before the club's first Championship campaign in 14 years commences next month.

Nuno will be looking to revamp the squad at his disposal this summer and incomings will be targeted in equal measure to outgoings, which has seen West Ham linked with a host of players across the EFL and the wider continent.

Another target has now re-emerged on the Hammers' transfer radar, although the Championship promotion hopefuls are facing the threat of being forced to fend off rival interest from Premier League clubs in a new update.

West Ham facing Everton and Fulham transfer threat in race for Franculino Dju

The player in question is sought-after Midtjylland forward Franculino Dju, who has surfaced as a reported target for a series of top-flight sides in England across recent times owing to his displays for the Danish outfit.

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It would appear as though the 22-year-old has been courted by West Ham for some time, with a report from TEAMtalk all the way back in August of last year linking the Hammers with a move for his services.

That interest has seemingly not gone away, and a new update from Danish outlet PL Bold has reported that Dju's signature remains on the radar of West Ham alongside Premier League pair Everton and Fulham.

It's said that Dju is likely to be sold this summer if the right offer is lodged following a stunning campaign in Denmark's top-flight, although Midtjylland's exact asking price remains unclear after Mike Tullberg's side previously rejected a significant offer from Bayern Munich.

Dju was linked with Ipswich Town and Newcastle United in April, although it's West Ham, Everton and Fulham who are now described as the leading contenders to land the 14-cap Guinea-Bissau international this summer.

Formerly of Benfica's academy, the striker has proven a major hit in Denmark since joining Midtjylland in the summer of 2023.

Dju's eye-catching return of 55 goals from 107 appearances overall, including 17 strikes in just 21 league outings and 22 in all competitions across an injury-disrupted 2025/26 term, means that ever-intensifying interest from top-flight sides represents little surprise, although the talented forward's stance on moving to the second-tier is unknown at this moment in time.

Franculino Dju could light up the Championship with West Ham

The capture of Dju would show a real statement of intent from West Ham, who will be eager to flex their muscles in this summer's window and have a serious transfer kitty to summon after the aforementioned sale of Fernandes.

Although the Danish top-flight is arguably at a lower overall standard than the Championship, Dju has found the back of the net with regularity in European competition and would likely face no difficulties in adapting to second-tier football.

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Just how plausible that really is remains to be seen, as the Hammers could struggle to sell their project to Dju in light of opportunities elsewhere to play in the Premier League come August.

However, the fact that West Ham are rivaling seasoned Premier League sides in this emerging race remains indicative of the club's lofty transfer ambitions, which could leave Nuno well-placed to oversee a successful promotion charge in 26/27.