Oumar Solet update emerges at West Ham United after Joel Matip transfer decision
Oumar Solet is higher up West Ham United’s radar than former Liverpool defender Joel Matip, according to HITC Sport.
The outlet reported on its website on Tuesday (17 September) that while the Cameroon international has been linked with a move to the London Stadium, former Red Bull Salzburg defender Solet is more of a priority.
Several other Premier League clubs appear to be lining up moves for Matip, who is a free agent after his contract expired at Anfield, including Bournemouth, Fulham and Wolves.
On top of that the 33-year-old is understood to have held talks with clubs in both Germany and France as he looks to make a return to the professional game three months after leaving Liverpool.
Will West Ham complete Oumar Soulet transfer at the London Stadium?
It does appear as though the Hammers remain in the free-agent market this season as they look to bolster their defensive options despite a summer of heavy spending under Julen Lopetegui at the London Stadium.
Behind the first-team trio of Konstantinos Mavropanos, Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman, there is a clear lack of depth available to the West Ham boss after both Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma completed last-minute loan exits.
While that hasn’t proven to be an issue so far this term, it could well become a problem if any of the aforementioned players pick up an injury or knock before the January transfer window opens in the new year.
Solet was known to be on the Hammers radar earlier this summer [The West Ham Way, 14 September] and now that his contract has been terminated at Salzburg, he could be signed outside of the transfer window.
But the 24-year-old will still need to be paid a signing-on fee and wages weekly and it isn’t clear whether or not the Irons have the money lying around to complete that sort of transfer.
It will be interesting to see whether or not Lopetegui’s side decide to make a move for either Solet or Matip in the coming weeks or instead just go with what they’ve got currently until 2025 rolls around.
In other West Ham news, Jeff Stelling has made a Hammers point after an Andy Carroll transfer update emerged
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