West Ham face competition from Sporting for Jeremiah St. Juste

West Ham are one of the clubs interested in signing Mainz defender Jeremiah St Juste but they face strong competition from Sporting CP.

According to a report from A Bola, the Lisbon club are trying to sign him from January. They are willing to offer a fee of around £6.23 million for him and are hopeful of concluding the deal within the next few weeks.

The report claims that the Hammers have made an approach for the 25-year-old defender.

West Ham

It could be interpreted as the Hammers may have made an enquiry about his availability. Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk claimed earlier this month that he is a player being tracked by several Premier League clubs including West Ham.

Competition

Earlier this season, St Juste was clocked running at a speed of 36.63 kph (22.76 mph) which is the fastest any player in the Bundesliga has travelled all campaign.

The Hammers need to sign a centre-back in the summer, and the price range is well within their budget.

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, the Hammers are also keeping tabs on Mainz defender Moussa Niakhate.

West Ham

It’s highly unlikely that the German club will allow both the players to leave in the summer. It seems the competition for St Juste is high with Newcastle and Leicester also involved.

Kurt Zouma remains the first-choice at the club, while Craig Dawson has proved his quality despite his age.

Issa Diop, on the other hand, has been disappointing, while the club need to sign a long-term replacement for Angelo Ogbonna who will stay for another season.

It seems like the Hammers do have an interest in the player, but there’s nothing concrete from their end.

In other West Ham news, the Hammers have scouted a £20m-rated “Dangerous” British striker and want to seal a permanent move this summer.

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