West Ham want to complete Ajax transfer hat-trick with star targeted in £20m move
West Ham are looking to complete a hat-trick of signings from Dutch giants Ajax as the Hammers reignite interest in a star who could be available for £20m.
Lines of communication are well established between West Ham and Ajax.
The Hammers signed Mexican midfielder Edson Alvarez for £34m from the Dutch side back in 2023.
West Ham then reunited Alvarez with his Ajax teammate Mohammed Kudus in a £38.5m deal a few weeks later.
It has been a similar tale for both players at the London Stadium.
Hammers eye new centre-back this summer
After impressing in their debut seasons at West Ham – especially Kudus – their form dropped off last term.
The Hammers are now looking to sell Kudus on for a large profit while Alvarez is also being linked with a move away.
And it seems some of the money being brought in could be heading back to Amsterdam.
Because West Ham want to complete an Ajax transfer hat-trick with a star being targeted in a £20m move.
Graham Potter is looking to make at least three and as many as six new signings this summer transfer window.
AFC Ajax v RKC Waalwijk – Dutch Eredivisie
Photo by Peter Lous/BSR Agency/Getty Images
It has been a stagnant start to the window so far for the Hammers, much to the anger of some fans.
A new striker, two midfielders, a centre-back, a versatile full-back and a goalkeeper are on Potter’s shopping list.
Konstantinos Mavropanos could be one of several players sold as part of the overhaul.
West Ham have been linked with a number of centre-backs including Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Adam Webster, Koni De Winter, El Hadji Malick Diouf and CJ Egan-Riley.
West Ham want Ajax transfer hat-trick with Sutalo a target
Marseille won the race for Egan-Riley while it is believed interest has cooled in Brighton’s Webster.
Now Hammers News understands a player linked with a move to east London in each of the last two summers is back on the radar – Croatian centre-back Josip Sutalo.
The 25-year-old Croatia international Sutalo was linked with a move to West Ham back in 2023.
But ironically Ajax used some of the money they raised from selling Kudus and Alvarez to the Hammers to beat them to Sutalo as he left Dinamo Zagreb.
The Hammers had moved for Sutalo back then having come up against him when they faced Zagreb in the Europa League.
Dinamo Zagreb v West Ham United: Group H – UEFA Europa League
Photo by Goran Stanzl/Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images
Ajax willing to sell longstanding Hammers target for £20m
Last summer Gianluca Di Marzio claimed Sutalo remained firmly in West Ham’s sights.
A deal never materialised as West Ham opted to commit £72m to signing Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo instead.
Potter prefers to play with three centre-backs but Mavropanos has been error-prone and is available for sale should the club receive offers in excess of £7-8m.
Sutalo suits Potter’s desired style of play as he is known for being excellent on the ball and playing out from the back.
He is also known for being very dominant in the air – meaning West Ham could complete the perfect Ajax hat-trick of left foot (Kudus), right foot (Alvarez) and header (Sutalo).
Croatian Football have expanded on claims from ESPN that Ajax are open to selling Sutalo this summer for around £20m.
They claimed West Ham are one of the clubs interested in potentially signing him.
AJAX OPEN TO ŠUTALO SALE!
Ajax are willing to sell Josip Šutalo this summer for over €25m, reports ESPN.
The Croatian is attracting interest, with West Ham among the clubs monitoring him. Ajax are happy with his development but open to a profitable deal.#Šutalo #Ajax… pic.twitter.com/r19fvsVkIn
— Croatian Football (@CroatiaFooty) June 22, 2025
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Hammers News understands Sutalo does indeed remain on a list of defensive targets for West Ham.
Although Potter is prioritising signing a striker and midfielders first and foremost.
And a top transfer source states the Hammers boss would also prefer Harwood-Bellis over the Ajax man.
To add a further layer of irony, Juventus tried to sign Sutalo when they missed out on Todibo to West Ham last summer – as reported by Football Italia at the time.
And the Italian side – who made an initial enquiry about West Ham outcast Nayef Aguerd this week – remain interested in Sutalo according to Old Juve.
