West Ham United and Watford have set their sights on Malang Sarr with the seldom-seen defender weighing up his future at Premier League giants Chelsea, as reported by FootMercato.
When West Ham paid nearly £30 million to lure Kurt Zouma away from their London rivals five months ago, they probably didn’t expect to come knocking on the door of Stamford Bridge so soon.
But circumstances dictate that, with three weeks of the January window remaining, the Hammers are once again crying out for defensive reinforcements.
David Moyes himself admitted recently that West Ham would be looking to bring in a new centre-half, via the Daily Mail. Not that he has much choice, with the Hammers looking to compete on numerous fronts in 2022.
Zouma’s hamstring issue might not be as serious as some had feared – not as serious as the injury suffered by centre-back partner Angelo Ogbonna at least – but an extended spell on the sidelines leaves a Champions League-chasing West Ham side desperately short of options at the back.
Aji Alese – a 20-year-old without a single Premier League appearance to his name – was the only centre-half on Moyes’ bench during Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Will West Ham lure Malang Sarr away from Chelsea?
According to FootMercato, West Ham have expressed an interest in Malang Sarr.
But while Zouma jumped at the chance to play regular first-team football at the London Stadium, the 22-year-old Frenchman is in no such rush.
Sarr has played just one Premier League game in all competitions.
The former Nice wonderkid didn’t exactly cover himself in glory during an error-prone display in December’s 3-3 Champions League draw with Zenit St Petersburg either.
FootMercato report, however, that Sarr could rebuff any offers to leave Stamford Bridge this month in order to fight for his place under Thomas Tuchel.
Sarr, who joined Chelsea on a free transfer in 2020, also has admirers at Watford.
Claudio Ranieri’s relegation-threatened Hornets side are pressing ahead with a deal for Croatia international Domagoj Vida too, while snapping up left-back Hassane Kamara from Nice (The Athletic).
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