West Ham have joined AC Milan and Bayern Munich in tabling an offer for Stuttgart defender Ozan Kabak as the 19-year-old looks to make a decision on his future by the end of the month, according to Hurriyet.
The Turkish newspaper claim on their website that the Hammers have put forward a bid for the young enforcer, who is said to be available for £13.3million (€15million) as a result of a release clause in his contract at the Bundesliga side.
It is stated that the Turkish centre back, who can also play as a defensive midfielder, is set to make a decision on his future before the end of June.
Opinion
Could this be the Hammers making contingency plans after all the speculation surrounding Issa Diop? Potentially, but Manuel Pellegrini could still do with some more quality options at the heart of his defence regardless of what happens to the French star. At £13million, Kabak is a perfectly affordable signing and at 19 he has his best years ahead of him. He might be looking for regular first team football and while the Irons might not be able to promise him that with the likes of Diop, Fabian Balbuena and Angelo Ogbonna on their books, they should be able to give him more of a chance of playing than at AC Milan or Bayern Munich. It looks as though Kabak has a tough decision to make regarding his future and it could well be that it takes longer than the next 10 days for him to come to a final answer. The Hammers’ hunt for a man in so much demand demonstrates their ambitions and if this move does not come off you can bet they have other options waiting in the wings.
