West Ham plot move to sign £21m-rated Rangers star | OneFootball

West Ham are readying an approach for Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez

West Ham are ready to launch a bid to sign Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernadez in the final week of the transfer window.

According to Football FanCast, the Hammers are keen on the defender, as they move on from their ambition to sign Axel Disasi.

The Chelsea centre-back spent time on loan at the London Stadium last season, and the club were keen on a deal to bring him back before the 1 September deadline.

However, the 28-year-old is instead closing in on a loan move to Crystal Palace, ending the Irons’ hopes of a deal.

Nuno Espírito Santo will be keen to improve his squad before the market shuts next month, with defensive reinforcements being sought.

The Championship side have already added Arne Engels, Mano Solomon and Joel Veltman as part of their summer business, with Joel Piroe also arriving on loan from Leeds United.

West Ham eye Rangers swoop for Emmanuel Fernandez

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It’s believed that West Ham are preparing a move for Fernandez following their failure to sign Disasi from Chelsea.

The defender is on the Hammers’ radar, but they face competition from German side Bayer Leverkusen, who are more advanced in their attempts to sign the centre-back.

It’s understood that Rangers have set an asking price of £21 million for the 24-year-old, who started in both of their league games so far this season, and West Ham could now hijack the Bundesliga club's bid to seal a deal.

West Ham are confident they can complete a move, and they could be willing to meet the figure set by the Scottish giants before the market closes.

The Nigeria international joined the Glasgow outfit last summer, and he featured 27 times in the Premiership in 2025/26, with Danny Rohl’s side finishing third in the table.

Fernandez made the switch from Peterborough United, where he gained experience in League One.

Fernandez has a contract with Rangers until June 2029, giving the club a strong negotiating position.

How West Ham fans feel about Emmanuel Fernandez interest

West Ham fans are confident that Fernandez would be well suited to play under Espirito Santo, if he did move from Ibrox.

With Disasi no longer on the market, the centre-back has been tipped as the next best option.

However, not everyone is convinced that he would be so great of an addition to the squad.

Concerns have been raised regarding whether he could help West Ham’s promotion bid.

The Hammers return to action on Saturday with a 3pm kick-off at home against Charlton Athletic.

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Emmanuel Fernandez signing would be another expensive addition

West Ham broke the EFL record for a fee paid to sign someone when they bought Engels from Celtic earlier this month.

Another fee in the region of the £20 million mark would further increase their spending total for this summer, and would ensure that they have to be in contention for automatic promotion this season.

The centre-back performed well for Rangers last season, and he could be a smart option in Espirito Santo’s system.

But any deal of this size will be a risk, and it’s unclear whether he’d prefer to move to West Ham instead of Bayer Leverkusen, who have Europa League football on offer this year.