OPINION
West Ham should forget all about signing Lille’s Brazilian midfielder Thiago Mendes and instead put all their efforts into recruiting Lyon’s 26-year-old Jordan Ferri.
It was claimed by The Times on Sunday that the Hammers were one of four Premier League teams that had inquired about signing Mendes with Manuel Pellegrini keen to continue revamping his squad ahead of the new season.
The trusted British newspaper stated that the 26-year-old Brazilian had a lot of interest in him and was valued at around the £18million mark.
While Mendes is a talented midfielder capable of playing as a defensive or attacking option, the Hammers need to be aware there is a cheaper option who would do just as good a job currently available.
According to a report by the Daily Mail Lyon are looking to offload a number of their players this summer and are even willing to part company with Ferri in the current window.
The Mail’s report shared that the Ligue 1 side were only seeking £5.5million for their 26-year-old holding midfielder and that makes him ridiculously cheaper than Mendes.
Ferri is an accomplished passer of the ball and is a reassuring defensive presence in the heart of midfield for his current side and would easily help stop goals being leaked by the Hammers next season if recruited.
The French midfielder played 34 times for Lyon last season and generally impressed in his outings.
With the Hammers nearly spending a £100 million on signing new players so far, as reported by Sky Sports, the club should look for an opportunity to save themselves some money by pursuing the just as talented Ferri instead of Mendes for a fraction of the latter’s price tag.
