West Ham United’s verbal offer of around Ā£15 million for NāGolo Kante was turned down by Al Ittihad on Thursday. Despite this setback, the Hammers have received some positive signals from the player’s representatives, who have indicated that Kante would be open to a return to London.
The Hammers remain hugely interested in Kante, but their Saudi counterparts are currently not inclined to sell the French international midfielder.
For Al Ittihad to even consider a deal, the offer would need to exceed Ā£25 million.
Both the club and the Saudi Pro League authorities hold Kante in high regard, viewing him as a central player for both the immediate and long-term future.
While Kante, aged 33, is content at Al Ittihad and is set to join their training camp for the upcoming season after a break following Euro 2024, reports now suggest that he would be willing to accept a significant pay cut to make the move to West Ham.
Realistically, the Frenchman would have to take a wage reduction of as much as 90% to join West Ham, making this a very tough transfer to conclude.
This is pure West Ham speculation, Kante is still one of the best midfielders in the World if he was available at that price most top clubs in Europe would be paying it even if only to put him on a subs bench. This window like so many others seems like Sullivan isn’t prepared to pay the money to get deals done for the priority signings and then is a cheapskate with all the others, we have paid over the odds for Kilman and Guillherme, we by all accounts had agreed a bargain basement fee for the brazilian defender then wouldn’t pay his wages which seems bonkers considering what we are going to pay to buy another cb… can’t get a left or right back through the door which are priority positions, let alone a striker and may pay over the odds for Duran, Todibo never wanted to come but we agreed a fee anyway, Sullivan likes us being linked with top players and probably has his own press machine to ensure we are constantly associated with them, sadly though they usually end up at other clubs… Milenkovic has signed for Forest for gods sake, why haven’t we got that one over the line when they have…
Enough of this nonsense, sign us a striker!
If they’re intent on keeping her m for the long term future of the league we should look to bring him on loan, as long as he really does want to come and he’ll drop wages. Win for both as we’ll get a good player for at least one season, and his league and club know they’ll get him back.
How long until Kante breaks , then it’s 10’s of millions wasted for several years , sounds like Sullivan meddling again .
Which reports exactly? No sources or quotes.
Let’s hope he gets an injury during their training camp. Harsh, but only that might stop us from making a huge error.
Mind you, it didn’t stop the perv in chief getting ‘big name fever’ and wasting wages and silly money on Zouma with his medical-failing knees.
Have you ever seen the scars on his right knee? They are Frankenstein’s monster scars.
Kante is a good man and I have nothing against him as a person, just that silly fee. Free transfer and not silly wages, then maybe.
Agree generally.
He needs to drop Ā£1m a month wages (maybe peanuts to him?)
How about 1 year loan, pay him Ā£60,000 and Saudi’s pay the balance on whatever he agrees.
Ridiculous idea but no more stupid than this time wasting no possibility transfer
As if there isn’t sufficient players that are still needed.
90% ?? He’s on 400k – so you saying we’d only pay him 40k per week… 75% psy cut maybe.
I really hope not. International Football is not as quick as the PL.
25mil for a 33 year old is madness.
Long term future?
12 months IMO.
While itās great having all these youngsters in the side it wouldnāt be such a bad thing to have an older head in there and more so with it being kante ā with how he played for France you can see heās far more mobile then anything with got in the middle of the park and still capable of playing at a high level
Ā£25 mill for anyone of that age please just move on if itās at all true if course
Just nonsenseā¦ā¦.never gonna happen,