£25.7m bid update emerges as West Ham United, Newcastle, Manchester United want to sign Lille ace Carlos Baleba
West Ham, Newcastle, Manchester United and an unnamed Premier League side are reportedly in the hunt to sign Lille midfielder Carlos Baleba.
According to La Voix Du Nord [26 June], the Hammers, along with the three other teams are prepared to table a bid in the region of £25.7million.
His entourage have spoken about the growing interest in the Cameroon international’s services with Lille poised for another big-money sale after letting Amadou Onana join Everton.
Tough one
Both Newcastle and Manchester United are in pursuit of the 19-year-old and if they are serious about their interest, he would fancy joining them over West Ham.
With the duo finishing in the top four, they can offer him Champions League football and also wages that the Hammers will not be able to afford.
One team is owned by the Saudi state while the other, despite their ownership crisis, has plenty of money to spend on new players each summer.
At 19, signing a player for that money is also risky for West Ham so they will air with caution before looking to sign him outright.
David Moyes would rather want more tried and tested players, especially in the Premier League as he will look to combat the loss of Declan Rice.
It remains to be seen who they end up signing with the chances of Baleba moving to the London Stadium appear to be slim.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are already preparing to cash in on the Declan Rice money as they hold a transfer meeting in London as they’re confident of sealing a £50million signing.