West Ham are likely to be after a central midfielder in the coming months.
Manuel Pellegrini’s first transfer priority at West Ham United this summer must be to add a new central midfielder to his Hammers squad, after David Moyes failed to solve the lack of options in the middle of the park in January.
Moyes was left with just Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate in central midfield at times, with Edimilson Fernandes and Pedro Obiang sidelined with long-term injuries and Josh Cullen considered inexperienced.
The former Manchester United and Everton manager was linked with moves with the likes of Tom Cairney, Leander Dendoncker and Jonjo Shelvey in January, but failed to land any of his shortlisted players.
Now, Pellegrini must do what Moyes failed earlier this season, and bring in a central midfielder. It should convince the former Manchester City manager to rival Crystal Palace in the pursuit of Monaco maestro Soualiho Meite.
French newspaper L’Equipe claim Roy Hodgson’s side are interested in landing the 24-year-old, who wore the number 10 shirt on loan at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux during the 2017-18 campaign.
Meite joined Bordeaux in the January transfer window, and made 19 appearances for Gus Poyet’s side as he helped the club finish in a decent sixth-placed finish.
Palace are interested in Meite, but face competition from German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen while Bordeaux are also keen on keeping him for another season on loan.
But adding the holding midfielder to the Hammers squad would provide the east Londoners with a player that boasts huge quality that is surely good enough to see him shine in the Premier League.
It could see the Hammers unearth a gem.
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