West Ham are eyeing an audacious move for France midfielder N’Golo Kante.
The 33-year-old is currently playing for Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad after leaving Chelsea last summer, but is of interest to West Ham after impressing at Euro 2024.
The Hammers are looking to step up their transfer plans after bringing in Wolves captain Max Kilman for £40million and are the frontrunners to sign Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson.
Nelson is hungry for more first-team football and keen on a move to West Ham, with a fee of around £15m to £20m believed to be enough to sign him.
A deal for Kante, however, will prove far more difficult for the Hammers. The midfielder is on a lucrative contract at Al-Ittihad which has two years left on it.
The Saudi Arabian club are also under no pressure to sell, given its huge wealth, and it is likely Kante would need to push to leave to help a deal take place.
He was one of the standout performers for France at this summer’s Euros and was named man of the match in two of the six games in which he played. It is thought he would be open to the idea of testing himself in the Premier League again.
West Ham technical director Tim Steidten said at the start of this month he was predicting a “busy summer” in the transfer window, and the club has been working hard to bolster the squad.
As well as bringing in Kilman from Wolves, Brazil forward Luis Guilherme has joined from Palmeiras in deal worth more than £20m. Nelson could join Guilherme in attack, with West Ham currently the favourites to sign him.
The Hammers’ interest in the Arsenal player is believed to date back to a year ago, when he was set to become a free agent.
The winger eventually elected to sign a new contract at Emirates Stadium, but West Ham have continued to track him and a deal for him this summer is on the cards.
Nelson — who still has three years left on his contract — is keen on a move to London Stadium and Arsenal are ready to cash in on him after he communicated his desire to leave this summer if the right offer came along.
West Ham are also eyeing defensive reinforcements and have agreed a loan deal with Nice for centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo.
The Frenchman needs to agree personal terms and, if he does, the move can be made permanent next summer for around £27m.
West Ham are looking for a right-back after Ben Johnson left for Ipswich, and Manchester United full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a key target.
The 26-year-old, who is wanted by clubs in Turkey, is in the final year of his contract at United and they are ready to cash in on him.
Wan-Bissaka moved to Old Trafford in 2019 from Crystal Palace as part of a deal that was worth £50m.
He has struggled for minutes recently, though, and is ready to leave now.
