West Ham United have been handed a chance to bring Ellyes Skhiri to the Premier League with Bundesliga outfit Cologne looking to sell the £14 million-rated midfield powerhouse, as reported by BILD.
Perhaps inspired by the remarkable impact Tomas Soucek has made at the London Stadium, many of West Ham’s midfield targets appear to fit a familiar mould.
From Skhiri to Morten Thorsby and Yangel Herrera to Dor Peretz, most are 6ft-something enforcers renowned for their aerial presence.
Tunisia international Skhiri, for example, is a giant – not to mention a massive threat at set-pieces. He scored a career-best six league goals in 2020/21, including two during Cologne’s shock win at Borussia Dortmund before Christmas.
Could Ellyes Skhiri be another Soucek for West Ham?
At this stage, however, it isn’t certain how serious West Ham’s interest really is.
Last month, German publication Express reported the Hammers were keen on the former Montpellier man.
According to an update provided by BILD, however, things may actually be the other way round – a case of Skhiri’s camp approaching West Ham rather than West Ham approaching Skhiri.
It’s understood Skhiri’s agent, the influential Fali Ramadani, has offered his client to West Ham and Napoli. It’s no secret the Serie A giants are also in the market for a solid central midfield player.
What’s more, Cologne are looking to cash in on Skhiri before the end of August having recently suffered losses of about £60 million. The France-born 26-year-old recently handed in a transfer request and would be available for about £14 million.
Interestingly, BILD adds Cologne are also likely to cash in on want-away centre-back Sebastiaan Bornauw. Crystal Palace and Norwich City want the Belgium international.
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