Report suggests £8m captain would love to join West Ham or Everton

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Mainz captain Moussa Niakhate wants to join a Premier League club with Everton and West Ham United keen on the Bundesliga giant, as reported by BILD. 

Earlier this week, recently de-throned Sporting Lisbon confirmed the £9 million signing of former Dutch U21 international Jerry St Juste from the Bundesliga high-flyers. 

Mainz coach Bo Svensson feared that both St Juste and Niakhate could head for the exit this summer. With one gone, and the other attracting interest, his prophecy could be about to come true. 

Niakhate has just one year left on his contract.

And the penalty-taking centre-half, who captains a Mainz side who have gone from relegation candidates to European hopefuls in the blinking of an eye, may be available for as little as £8 million with Everton and West Ham both in the market for defensive reinforcements (The Telegraph).

Everton and West Ham want Moussa Niakhate

And it seems that Niakhate would jump at the opportunity to join either Frank Lampard or David Moyes on British soil.

According to BILD, VFL Wolfsburg recently approached the 6ft 3ins man mountain to enquire about whether or not he’d be willing to swap the Rhineland for Saxony. 

Niakhate, however, issued a firm response, making it clear that he is holding out for what is described as an ‘economically attractive’ offer from a Premier League club. Now, what you can deduce from that is Niakhate has clearly come to the conclusion that the money on offer in England far outstrips that of the Bundesliga. 

According to Salary Sport, Niakhate earns around £12,000-a-week at Mainz. It almost goes without saying that he’d be in line for a substantial pay rise at Goodison Park or the London Stadium. 

“I think yes,” Niakhate tells RMC Sport when asked if 2021/22 is the best season of his career so far. 

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“I’m happy with what I’m doing this year. I know that I am progressing and that I am better every season. I’ve managed to improve my game, to grow. I think I’m a better player every year.

“I am much calmer on the pitch. Having more responsibilities gives me even more desire to give everything. I feel stronger defensively, more solid, stronger also with the ball when I’m under pressure. And I’m more decisive offensively.”