Barcelona in hunt to beat West Ham to N’Golo Kante after approach made
Barcelona are interested in signing N’Golo Kante after West Ham had a bid rejected, according to Sport.
The Spanish outlet reported on Sunday (21 July) that the La Liga giants are considering the former Chelsea midfielder as a loan option, though Al-Ittihad are not willing to accept a temporary deal.
The Hammers have already seen a £25million offer rejected by the Saudi club, according to Sebastien Vidal [20 July], but intend to “quickly” return with a new £33million offer.
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While the midfielder is said to be a “top priority” for Julen Lopetegui, as per Sebastien Vidal, the Hammers have already been warned about signing the 33-year-old midfielder following Euro 2024.
Kante looked back to his best after returning to the France squad but the midfielder has been plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League for the past year, which is not up to the same standards and quality of the Premier League.
However, the injury to Edson Alvarez means the defensive midfielder position needs to be addressed this summer [Knees Up Mother Brown], especially following Flynn Downes’ permanent move to Southampton.
Lopetegui currently has Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse at his disposal, neither of whom can do as good a job as the Mexican in the middle of the park.
The Spaniard could look to the youth set-up, but having only just come through the doors at the London Stadium, he would be relying on prospects to hit the ground running under pressure.
With 269 appearances for Chelsea over seven years at Stamford Bridge, Kante could be the perfect addition to the squad while the Irons wait on Alvarez’s return, but it does come with a risk.
In addition to this, the club will now need to fight off other European clubs for the Frenchman’s signature, having impressed at Euro 2024 under Didier Deschamp.
In other West Ham news, Hammers-linked striker Jonathan David might not make a decision on his future until 2025.
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