West Ham United are reportedly closing in on a deal for Saint-Etienne forward Jonathan Bamba.
After a few difficult years on the recruitment front, West Ham fans would be forgiven for being cautiously optimistic at best when they hear that their club are interested in a young player who is plying their trade in another country.
There have been the exceptions – most notably, the deal for Manuel Lanzini – but the Hammers supporters would probably have little issue reeling off the list of transfer failures that they have had to deal with in recent years.
Understandably therefore, there was some concern when The Sun reported last week that the Irons were closing in on a deal for Saint-Etienne forward Jonathan Bamba.
But while there may have been some concern – there was also plenty of positive responses to the rumours – it appears that landing Bamba on a free transfer could be a real coup for West Ham.
The 22-year-old has scored six goals and provided four assists in Ligue 1 this term, so appears to have the potential to be a very talented player in the future – and signing him for nothing would mean that there is little risk attached to a potential deal from West Ham’s perspective.
David Moyes could arguably do with having a greater number of options going forward after selling Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew in the January transfer window, and Bamba could prove to be a very exciting player to have in the ranks – though he may need time if he does ultimately move to the London Stadium.
West Ham fans have every right to hope that the board do not prioritise bargain signings during the summer after a difficult year, but a free transfer for Bamba looks as if it may prove to be a very shrewd piece of business.
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