West Ham now reportedly face competition in their pursuit to sign Serie A wonderkid Koni De Winter, with Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach both joining the race for the defender.
According to Corriere dello Sport via Football Italia, the on-loan Empoli star has now attracted interest from the Bundesliga duo ahead of the January transfer window, with West Ham also keen on signing the ‘titanic’ youngster who this campaign has enjoyed a breakout year in the Italian top-flight.
Owned by Juventus, De Winter joined Empoli on loan in the summer, where the centre-back has flourished into an impressive operator. And now, clubs are interested in signing the Belgium youth international, with the defender believed to be worth around £17m.
Whilst a move in January is unlikely given the terms of Empoli’s loan agreement, De Winter is expected to be surrounded by top European clubs upon his return to Turin in the summer, with West Ham now facing some big opposition in the race to sign the 20-year-old defender.
Leverkusen and Gladbach are two European hopefuls in the Bundesliga with some of the best reputations in the division for developing young players, and a move closer to home in Belgium could be an appealing proposition for De Winter, who is unlikely to break into Juventus’ senior squad next season despite his obvious talents.
Indeed, West Ham themselves have a good shot of winning the race to sign De Winter if they can claw their way back up the Premier League standings. Yet with two top sides in Leverkusen and Gladbach now in the race, David Moyes’ side could struggle to land the Belgian.
West Ham signing De Winter has taken a major dent
West Ham already faced competition for De Winter from the likes of Crystal Palace and Southampton. However, Leverkusen and Gladbach are in another league both figuratively and literally when it comes to signing the Juventus wonderkid in 2023.
After all, the Bundesliga duo have the track record and the reputation to easily beat West Ham to De Winter’s signature. And for Moyes, missing out on the centre-back will be a massive blow given how perfect the youngster is for the club’s future plans.
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