West Ham United are reportedly in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s central defender Odilon Kossounou, as they look to bolster their backline this summer.
According to journalist Stefan Bienkowski, Leverkusen are prepared to sell the 23-year-old Ivorian for the right price. Despite their Bundesliga title win and strong showing in other competitions, they believe they can find an adequate replacement.
West Ham face competition from established giants like Manchester United and Liverpool, who have also been linked to Kossounou.
New manager Julen Lopetegui is overseeing a defensive overhaul at West Ham. With Angelo Ogbonna already departed and potential exits for Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd looming, only Konstantinos Mavropanos might remain from last season’s central defenders.
The Hammers’ technical director, Tim Steidten, previously worked at Leverkusen, potentially giving them an inside track on negotiations.
While Leverkusen is open to a sale, West Ham must meet their valuation to secure Kossounou. This could be a deciding factor, especially considering the competition from wealthier clubs.
Compared to Jonathan Tah, another Leverkusen defender linked to West Ham, Kossounou appears to be a more attainable target. Tah reportedly prefers a move to Bayern Munich.
West Ham need to act swiftly if they want to secure Kossounou. His undoubted talent and Leverkusen’s willingness to sell make him a compelling option. However, competition from established Premier League clubs adds a layer of difficulty. The coming days will be crucial as West Ham negotiates and attempts to convince Kossounou of their project.
Yep WH will be motivated to get this one done asap especially after the bloke was torn a new one at our place and subbed after 30mins.
Utter tosh.
couldn’t agree more mate he was shocking and no better in the other matches i saw him in so lets move on to the next non story this idiot makes up
Spot on