West Ham United want to sign Youssouf Fofana ahead of Manchester United in a £25 million plus transfer.
West Ham United want to sign AS Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana ahead of Manchester United and AC Milan this summer, according to Calciomercato. The Hammers are keen to bolster their squad during the summer with Kalvin Phillips unlikely to stick around after his failed loan, while Lucas Paqueta has also been linked with a move to Manchester City.
And according to a report on their website (3 April), the Italian news outlet report that World Cup finalist Fofana is expected to leave Ligue 1 this summer in a deal worth in excess of £25m with West Ham keen to win the race for his signature. “Monaco knows that Fofana will pack his bags and does not intend to stop him. But he expects to collect a figure close to €30m (£25.7m) from his sale,” they wrote. “Anyone who wants it must budget for such an investment, to which must be added a salary that will be higher than the current one, €220,000 gross per month, just over €2.6m gross per year (£42,800 per week).
“Milan has competition above all from Premier League clubs: last summer Nottingham Forest tried, this year watch out for West Ham and Manchester United.” Fofana would be a brilliant signing for West Ham United The Irons have built a reputation for having all-action midfielders who are capable of defending deep, exploding from box-to-box and also being a threat in the final third.
Kalvin Phillips fits that mould relatively well but has never had the athleticism that a West Ham midfielder is known for, but Fofana would certainly not have that issue himself.
His energy is incredible, he is strong in duels and in possession, he is bold and clever with the ball, and he has extensive experience at the highest level. Normally, a player of this level would cost twice as much as this proposed figure, but West Ham could be very wise to move quickly to get him in during the summer, with his departure appearing likely. Beating out Man United and AC Milan for his signature would also be a strong statement of purpose, so he is one to keep an eye on regardless of who manages next season.
