Everton and West Ham were potential suitors for Che Adams before the forward signed for Southampton, according to The Guardian

The report states that the Toffees and the Hammers, along with fellow Premier League outfit Burnley, were all keen on the player before he decided to make the move to St Mary’s. 

Adams left Birmingham City for Southampton at the beginning of the month in a deal thought to be worth £15 million. 

The 23-year-old, who netted 22 times in the Championship last season, has already hit the ground running with the Saints, finding the back of the net in the 1-1 pre-season draw with Austrian side Altach. 

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And talking in an in-depth interview with The Guardian, Adams insisted that his chat with Ralph Hasenhuttl was. key to persuading him to move to the south coast. 

Me and the gaffer had a chat, he told me the way he wanted to play and I thought it would suit me perfectly. He wants to build something, achieve good things, and it’s something I wanted to be a part of. 

I know I caused a stir when I said about winning the league – probably too much of a stir – but it was just pure optimism, looking up rather than down. I want to get right to the top. It just depends on how hard you want to work; how much you actually want it.

The dynamic forward looks set to play a key role in Hasenhuttl’s first full season in charge and could well lead the line for the Saints against Burnley on the opening day of the 2019/20 campaign. 


Why Adams was an excellent signing by the Saints