Burnley’s ambitious American owners, led by former three-time Hammer of the Year Scott Parker, aim to enhance their squad following their return to the Premier League.

West Ham have been linked with signing Burnley’s Josh Brownhill and CJ Egan-Riley on free transfers.

The Hammers have denied any interest in Brownhill.

Egan-Riley leaves Burnley and West Ham seeking for alternatives.

Despite a last-minute attempt to reverse his mind, West Ham lost Egan-Riley to Marseille.

The Egan-Riley issue is a painful blow to Burnley and, potentially, the Irons.

So far, West Ham has faced doom and gloom in the window.

However, Burnley is also struggling.

After losing Egan-Riley and maybe their captain Brownhill, keeper James Trafford is rumoured to join Newcastle.

Parker himself is being linked to other jobs. Burnley will need to do a lot of work if they want to avoid relegation next season.

The same could be said for West Ham, considering the club’s struggles over the last 18 months, which have resulted in only 15 wins in their last 57 Premier League games.

Potter wants a new centre-back this summer.

Aguerd gets a lift at the right time as West Ham tells star to reject Burnley.

However, he has been waiting for several sales to free up transfer funds.

West Ham plan to raise finances by selling several players, including Mohammed Kudus, Nayef Aguerd, Emerson Palmieri, Niclas Fullkrug, and others.

Ironically, Marseille’s signing of Egan-Riley on a free transfer from Burnley dealt a big blow to the Hammers, as Roberto De Zerbi had targeted Aguerd.

The error-prone Moroccan is not suited to English football and spent the previous season on loan at Real Sociedad.

Aguerd has no desire to play for the Hammers again.

West Ham are seeking to raise between £17 and £20 million by selling him. With Marseille out of the picture, his claimed remaining suitors are Sociedad, Bayer Leverkusen, and Atletico Madrid.

Erik ten Hag is interested in signing Aguerd from Leverkusen, which is excellent news for West Ham but bad news for Burnley.

Wirtz agreement provides Ten Hag with cash to buy Aguerd from Hammers.

And the former Manchester United manager now has enough of funds to complete a deal fast, after Premier League winners Liverpool agreed to pay £116 million to recruit Germany attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz from Leverkusen.

The fee for the 22-year-old comprises a guaranteed £100 million with an additional £16 million in add-ons. Those bonus payments would only become payable if the Reds maintain a consistent level of success, which would set a British record.

The Wirtz signing is good news for the Hammers’ chances of selling Aguerd.

As a result, it could be critical to securing a top target ahead of Burnley.

West Ham have been targeting Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis for a summer transfer since Potter’s arrival in January.

West Ham waits for Aguerd money before signing Harwood. -Bellis

It says a lot about former Manchester City academy graduate Harwood-Bellis that he has received England call-ups despite playing for a dismal Southampton squad that was one of the poorest Premier League clubs in history.

Roy Keane’s future son-in-law is coveted by West Ham and plans to leave after changing agents.

It is estimated that the talented defender will cost roughly £15 million. So selling Aguerd would pay for the transaction.

Alan Nixon, a journalist, has reported that West Ham prefer Harwood-Bellis to wait for them rather than return to the Clarets.

Nixon writes on Patreon that West Ham are ‘huge supporters’ of Harwood-Bellis.

However, due to their low budget, they will be able to make a meaningful move only if they sell.

Fortunately, Leverkusen is now in a position to give Ten Hag the man he wants at the back – Aguerd.

That means Harwood-Bellis may not have to keep Burnley off for long.

With a complete pre-season behind him, a back three of 23-year-old Bellis, Max Kilman, and Jean-Clair Todibo makes West Ham’s defence appear much superior.

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