West Ham are in talks with Le Havre over signing defender Harold Moukoudi, according to the Daily Mail.
The British newspaper claim that while the Hammers have begun talks over a £10million move for the 6ft 3in centre-back (Transfermarkt) Manuel Pellegrini must sell players in order to finance the potential deal.
The Daily Mail report that ideally the Hammers would sell their players ahead of a deal for Moukoudi being completed and that the club remain in talks over the potential sale of Pedro Obiang.
It is also believed that the Premier League side will consider offers for Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna.
OPINION
The Mail’s report states that the Hammers aren’t alone in their quest to sign Moukoudi as Burnley, Brighton, Derby and Crystal Palace are also keen on him, so it’s makes sense that the club are trying to get a deal in place quickly. The 20-year-old defender had an impressive 2017/18 season for Le Havre in Ligue 2 but there is a question mark about whether he’d be able to cope with playing in the Premier League anytime soon. Moukoudi has a lot of potential but doing well in France’s second-tier is a lot easier than excelling in the top-flight in England. While Pellegrini must sell before he buys in the case of Moukoudi, it seems the club are willing to sanction a move ahead of players having their exits confirmed which means this deal has a real chance of occurring. However it’s worrying that the club are potentially willing to cash in of Ogbonna. The defender had a very decent season in his 2017/18 campaign even though the Hammers shipped goals, so he shouldn’t be on the chopping block.
