West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate is being chased by Crystal Palace, according to Sky Sports.
The sports news broadcaster has relayed on their Twitter account that the Eagles are in discussions with the Hammers over a possible £10 million transfer for the 28-year-old mainstay – who earns £60,000 a week (Spot Trac) .
Kouyate joined the club in 2014.
SKY SOURCES: Crystal Palace in talks with West Ham over potential £10m signing of midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate. #SSN pic.twitter.com/H9gHl5Kr8g
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 25, 2018
Kouyate has been a regular first-teamer for the Irons, making 37 appearances for West Ham in the 2017/2018 Premier League season. However, since boss Manuel Pellegrini made a flurry of signings, the Senegal international now appears to be surplus to requirements and their rivals are now in the hunt for his services.
OPINION
Despite Kouyate being a regular for the senior team last season, it is evident Pellegrini is willing to offload him to make room for the new signings. David Moyes obviously thought he was a key asset to the team, giving him 37 appearances, but Pellegrini obviously thinks differently. However, the club will now have to make reinforcements in that position if Kouyate does end up departing West Ham. It is surprising that Pellegrini wants to get rid of a defensive midfielder, as it means he will have to dip into the transfer market once more and find a suitable replacement. It is not the best idea to sell a player to your rivals, and the Chilean may regret selling him if he ends up being a sensation for them next term. There is no guarantee that he will be able to find a player who can potentially replace him so late on in the window, so he will need to consider Kouyate’s future carefully.
