West Ham move fast for Melvin Bard deal as defender one step from exit
West Ham are in the race for Melvin Bard's signature before the transfer deadline.
The French defender could be an ideal replacement for El Hadji Malick Diouf.
The Hammers lost Diouf to Premier League side Brentford in a £40million deal on Friday.
Nuno Espirito Santo is on the lookout for a new player in that position, as he currently only has Ollie Scarles.
The E20 side have until 11pm on Tuesday to complete a deal for the Nice star.
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West Ham face competition for Melvin Bard signature
West Ham have seemingly identified Bard as the solution to their issue at left-back.
Transfer specialist Santi Aouna claimed via X on Monday that the East London side are coming strong for the defender and he could leave for England.
However, he also mentioned Premier League side Leeds United, so there is tough competition for his services.
Nice have reached an agreement with Niels Nkounkou, and are "one step away" from a deal, which would in turn free up Bard to depart.
Who is Bard and what will he bring to West Ham?
Bard is a vastly experienced full-back, with 168 appearances in Ligue 1 to his name.
The 25-year-old has also played 11 times in the Europa League, and eight matches in the UEFA Conference League, so he has plenty of European experience too.
He has recorded eight goals and nine assists in all competitions throughout his career, so is not exactly known for his attacking prowess.
Defensively, he averaged 6.84 contributions last season, with 1.95 tackles, five recoveries and 2.85 clearances, per FotMob data.
In terms of duels, he won 54.3 per cent on the ground and 50.8 per cent in the air.
Nuno's side have been very porous at the back, conceding five goals in their opening three Championship matches, which sees them sitting in 19th place in the division.
Securing Bard before the transfer window closes could help their promotion push.