Degerfors IF have held discussions with West Ham United ‘about a collabortation’, according to Värmlands Folkblad, relayed by Fotbollskanalen.
The Swedish club were relegated to the second division in 2023. They are now leading the league table, eight points ahead of second placed Östers Idrottsförening, in a good position to return to the top division with four league games left this season.
Fotbollskanalen report Degerfors have been negotiating with West Ham over a cooperation agreement, that can be beneficial for both clubs. Their chairman, Fredrik Rakar, has refused to confirm whether it’s the Hammers, but there’s a certainty from the report that it is.
“Nothing is signed but it seems promising. They [likely West Ham officials] will come here on Monday,” he told Värmlands Folkblad.
The Premier League side that Degerfors IF are currently in talks with are from London. The chairman has revealed he travelled to the English capital.
“We flew to London, that much I can say,” Rakar explained.
The newspaper asked Rakar what he expects from the relationship.
Responding to that, he added: “We want to strengthen our academy and build for the future. Ensure that Degerfors IF are on the map, long-term and sustainable.
“In this work, we have initiated initial talks with a club in England that has one of the foremost academies with a long and good habit of refining individuals. That’s why we chose them – not because of any star power.”
This clearly indicates the collaboration with West Ham revolves mainly around the Hammers’ young talents. They could get first team experience in Sweden, if the two clubs were to come to an agreement.
