The Saints’ pursuit of the Liverpool defender could have a direct knock-on effect for the Hammers.
Southampton have had a loan offer for Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho rejected by the Merseyside club, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
Sakho has not played a single minute of first-team football for the Reds this term after getting himself in Jurgen Klopp’s bad books during the club’s pre-season tour.
With Klopp having no plans to reintroduce the Frenchman, Liverpool are looking to cash in on the 26-year-old, for whom they paid a reported £18 million back in 2013.
According to the Mail, Southampton have launched an official bid to take the centre-back on loan, but it has been rejected out of hand as the Anfield club only want a permanent sale which would see them at the very least recoup the sum they paid for Sakho.
Whilst other clubs such as Crystal Palace, Swansea and Sevilla are also thought to be chasing Sakho, West Ham will wait in the wings and hope it is the Saints who get their man.
That is because Southampton are unlikely to go ahead and sell wantaway captain Jose Fonte until they have got a ready-made replacement in.
The Hammers are widely thought to be chasing Fonte as they look to add more steel and experience to their own backline, with Slaven Bilic reportedly identifying Fonte as a primary target.
The Mirror claims that Southampton will want around £12 million for the Portugal star.
While it is as yet uncertain whether West Ham would be willing to pay that much for a player with little sell-on value, any hopes they may have of a deal could rest on Southampton’s pursuit of Sakho.
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