St Etienne defender Kevin Malcuit was the subject of interest from West Ham in January but could Newcastle United bring him to England in the summer?
If West Ham supporters were already dissatisfied with their club’s divisive approach to the transfer market, their next point of contention could surround missing out on a player rather than signing another underperforming misfit.
The Sun reported in February that The Hammers were preparing an increased offer for St Etienne right-back Kevin Malcuit after seeing an £8.5 million bid rejected in January.
The right side of the defence has been something of a problem position for Slaven Bilic this season with Michail Antonio lacking the defensive awareness to fill in effectively in the injury-enforced absence of Sam Byram.
As for Alvaro Arbeloa, well, maybe a few ‘missing’ posters would get to the bottom of that particular mystery.
Yet, according to France Football, their plans could be scuppered by Newcastle United. The magazine claims that the Championship leaders are contemplating a bid at the end of the season in a deal that may represent a return to the Ligue 1 market for the famously Francophile chief scout Graham Carr.
There are legitimate concerns from many Newcastle fans that their side is not yet ready for the rigours of the Premier League but the addition of Malcuit would be a step in the right direction.
Unlike the fleet-footed DeAndre Yedlin, the 25-year-old combines quality in attack with defensive durability. Furthermore, Malcuit is enjoying his most productive season in terms of assists, suggesting that he could be an orthodox replacement for out-of-contract utility man Vurnon Anita.
The Chronicle reports that the long-serving Dutchman will be released at the end of the season and, although Malcuit may cost upwards of £10 million, he would add much-needed balance on the right.
Perhaps West Ham chairman David Gold should mute his Twitter notifications for a few days if Newcastle beat him to a deal, however.
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