West Ham are reportedly ready to make a January move for Sunderland defender Lamine Kone.
According to The Mirror, West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic has no concerns about Lamine Kone’s Africa Cup of Nations commitments, and still plans to make a £15m move for the Sunderland ace in January.
The Hammers have struggled defensively this season, with only three Premier League teams conceding more goals than Bilic’s men so far this term.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
Many fans want to see a new centre back brought in during the January transfer window, and it seems that West Ham have set their sights on raiding a Premier League rival for defensive reinforcements.
The Mirror report that Sunderland’s Lamine Kone is West Ham’s top January target, and a deal for the centre back could cost around £15m.
Sunderland’s Lamine Kone in action with West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon
The Ivorian international, who joined Sunderland from Lorient in January, was a huge factor in the Black Cats’ run to stay up last season, but he hasn’t quite matched those displays so far this season.
Still, it’s claimed that Kone has been on Bilic’s transfer wish list for some time now, and he’s ready to press ahead with a January move for the player – despite his Africa Cup of Nations commitments.
Sunderland’s Lamine Kone in action with Everton’s Romelu Lukaku
Kone is poised to head off to Gabon with the Ivory Coast side early in 2017 for the Africa Cup of Nations where he, along with the likes of Eric Bailly, Wilfried Bony and Jonathan Kodjia, will be hoping to win the competition.
That means that the 27-year-old won’t be available for Premier League action, but Bilic is allegedly happy to make a move for Kone regardless, with the Croatian seemingly a huge fan of the central defender.
Would you be happy to see West Ham snap up Kone?
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