According to BUT Lens, West Ham are interested in bringing Newcastle target Seko Fofana to the Premier League.
What’s the story?
Well, it was said that Newcastle are hoping to sign the Ivory Coast international before the August 31st deadline, but the Magpies now face a new challenger for his signature in West Ham.
BUT Lens believe David Moyes has shortlisted Fofana along with Conor Gallagher, and sources close to the London Stadium believe the Hammers will have no issue in meeting the Ligue 1 side’s asking price.
No exact figure is mentioned, but the French news outlet claim that RC Lens want a similar fee to what Lille sold Amadou Onana for – as you may know, West Ham missed out on the Belgian to Everton in a deal worth £33m.
BUT Lens add that West Ham are also keen to sign Hans Vanaken from Club Brugge, but the Belgian side are refusing to let him leave – that is despite the fact he wants to join the east Londoners.
Clearly, Moyes is still on the hunt for a new midfielder after losing Onana to Everton.
Interest in Fofana – who is the captain of RC Lens – comes after he scored ten goals in 41 appearances last season, while also providing two assists.
West Ham & Newcastle fighting for a special footballer
Fofana is hardly a household name in football, but if he did move to the Premier League, we are certain that many people would quickly know all about him.
Remarkably, the Ivorian beat Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar to be crowned as the best footballer in France during 2021 by Get French Football News – one of the biggest outlets in the country.
Fofana has already earned comparisons to Yaya Toure and Patrick Vieira, which speaks volumes about his ability.
Interestingly, West Ham actually tried to sign the 27-year-old in 2020 while he was at Udinese, so those at the London Stadium should know all about him.
Keep an eye on this situation, as we enter the final two weeks of the transfer window.
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