West Ham United make contact with Mandela Keita as £13.4m January transfer update emerges
West Ham United have contacted Mandela Keita’s entourage ahead of a potential January transfer to the London Stadium, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
The Belgian outlet reported on its website Monday (22 January) that the Hammers are very interested in signing the defensive midfielder this month after his performances during his loan spell at Royal Antwerp caught their eye.
Keita joined the Belgian side on loan from OH Leuven this season, in a deal which included an obligation to buy should certain conditions be met and it appears that obligation has already been activated.
Antwerp will have to pay £6.7million [€7.8million] to sign the 21-year-old permanently and Het Nieuwsblad say they would like at least double that fee to sell him this month, however, West Ham have not been put off by the asking price because of his Champions League and international experience.
Keita remains high on the Irons list this month, but they will wait before deciding whether or not to pursue a deal in the coming days, as they do have the financial resources to get the transfer over the line.
Another midfielder
It seems as though West Ham are incredibly keen to secure Keita’s services this month, having already made contact with his entourage over a potential deal, but is surprising to see the Hammers linked with yet another midfielder.
Kalvin Phillips appears to be heading to the London Stadium this month already and although that is only a loan deal, David Moyes has a number of quality options already at his disposal in the middle of the park.
Given Keita’s young age, the Irons may well view the 21-year-old as a project for the future, rather than an immediate fix. Should the deal cost around £13.4m, as has been reported, it could be a gamble worth taking for the Hammers this month.
It appears as though a decision will be made sooner rather than later, but this feels like a deal for West Ham supporters to keep an eye on until the end of the window.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers’ new transfer priority has emerged after they saw a bid rejected for Jhon Duran
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