West Ham United transfer news as club eye move for Lille wonderkid Carlos Baleba
West Ham have sent scouts to watch Lille wonderkid Carlos Baleba in recent months with the club likely to demand a fee of around £30m for his signature, according to 90min.
The report claims that the Ligue 1 side wants a similar fee to the one they received for Amadou Onana from Everton last summer, who joined the Toffees for £30m.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle United, AC Milan, Juventus, Nice, Monaco and Leicester City are all showing interest in the highly-rated talent too.
“90min understands that AC Milan failed with a bid to land him in the recent January window, while Juventus, Nice and Monaco have watched Baleba and shown interest,” as quoted by 90min. (10 March)
“But a Premier League move seems to be emerging as the most likely scenario, and sources have confirmed to 90min that Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, West Ham and Leicester have all sent scouts to watch Baleba in recent months with a view to making a potential offer.
“In terms of Lille’s stance on Baleba, it’s understood they see him in the same vein as Amadou Onana, who left for Everton last summer in a deal worth north of £30m. It’s likely the former Ligue 1 champions will demand a similar fee this time around, despite Baleba’s lack of experience at the highest level.”
In demand.
The 19-year-old has burst onto the French football scene this season and has become one of the most sought-after talents in European football.
Baleba only came to Lille in January 2022 joining from Brasseries du Cameroun academy, however, his impact in Ligue 1 has been an instant one.
The Cameroonian wonderkid has gone on to make 14 league and cup appearances for Paulo Fonseca’s side and now looks set to move to a European juggernaut this summer.
Obviously, it’s still very early days in the progression of Baleba, nevertheless, all the signs are pointing towards the youngster having a top career in the beautiful game.
And the £30m price tag that is being mooted for his signature is an absolute steal in the grand scheme of things and it’s a deal West Ham should definitely explore.
It would be a tough ask to convince Baleba of a move to the London Stadium over the other teams mentioned above, but crazier things have happened in the transfer window before.