West Ham target was mentioned in same breath as Kylian Mbappe after Champions League feat
West Ham United boss Graham Potter is looking to shore up his midfield before the Premier League season begins.
The Hammers already have Freddie Potts and George Earthy looking to break into the team this season.
However, Potter is targeting Lille’s midfield enforcer Ngal’ayel Mukau to challenge them.
The 20-year-old DR Congo international is a defensive midfielder, but stats show that Mukau was very progressive on the ball for Lille last season.
What’s more, he holds a Champions League goalscoring record that has only been beaten by three undeniable legends of the game.
West Ham target Mukau holds an impressive Champions League scoring record
It’s believed that Lille are open to selling Mukau for a fee of around £17million. That would be a huge profit on the £4.3m paid for him by the French club only last summer.
However, when you consider his age and his European pedigree, that could arguably prove to be one of the bargains of the season.
Last season, Mukau scored a brace for Lille in the Champions League group stage against Bologna at the age of the age of 20 years and 24 days.
Only David Trezeguet, Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe have scored a brace in the Champions League for a French club earlier in their careers.
If Mukau turns out to be half as good as those three, West Ham fans will be rubbing their hands with glee.
West Ham need more firepower before the transfer window closes
West Ham have been tidy enough in the transfer window this summer.
Their new goalkeeper Mads Hermansen should be an upgrade on Alphonse Areola. They’ve done well to recruit Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer, while El Hadji Malick Diouf looks like an exciting prospect.
However, Potter surely needs to add some proven flair players if he wants a chance of improving on last season’s 14th-place finish.
| Player | Previous club | Fee |
| Jean-Clair Tobido | Nice | Undisclosed |
| El Hadji Malick Diouf | Slavia Prague | £19m |
| Callum Wilson | Newcastle | Free |
| Kyle Walker-Peters | Southampton | Free |
| Mads Hermansen | Leicester City | £20m |
West Ham only scored 46 league goals last season, and they have sold their most creative midfielder Mohammed Kudus.
Callum Wilson has been signed on a free transfer, but there’s no guarantee that he can recapture his best form or even remain fit all season.
The pursuit of Mukau is an interesting one, but it feels like Potter is prioritising the wrong positions with just three weeks of the transfer window remaining open.
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