West Ham are in the race to sign Nottingham Forest defender Yohan Benalouane, according to Foot Mercato.
The French outlet claim that the 31-year-old centre-back may leave Forest before his contract expires in June 2020 despite being a fan favourite.
Foot Mercato report that the Hammers aren’t the only club keen on Benalouane as Leeds United and Cardiff City also are admirers of the enforcer.
OPINION
This would be a very random move. While Benalouane, according to Foot Mercato, has already weaved his way into the heart of Forest fans, despite only joining in January, it’s unlikely West Ham supporters would be happy to see him. If the 31-year-old rocked up at the London Stadium anytime soon, there would no doubt be a lot of grumbling from fans. This isn’t because Benalouane isn’t a talented defender or hasn’t been in impressive form as of late, but most Hammers fans would like to see young players signed. Manuel Pellegrini is meant to be building for the future and you feel signing a defender the wrong side of 30 isn’t the way to go. If the Hammers manager really wants a veteran centre-back to call upon, surely he should be eager to give Winston Reid a chance when he returns from injury. While Benalouane will likely not warrant a high price due to his age and short contract, the Hammers should save their money on this occasion.
