West Ham United could sign ‘technically gifted’ Karamoko Dembele and loan him out straight away
West Ham could look to sign Brest winger Karamoko Dembele and look to send him out on loan straight away, according to Carlton Palmer.
Speaking to Football League World on Friday (22 March), the pundit admitted that the 21-year-old is “very technically gifted”, but he questioned whether he would be able to make the step up to the Premier League after spending this season on loan with League One club Blackpool.
He added that the Hammers could potentially view the former England youth international as a long-term option for the future and loan him out to a Championship side for the next campaign.
“If you go to a Leeds or Leicester, there is a chance you will be playing regular first-team football, so I don’t think Middlesbrough have an advantage in offering him regular first-team football because it is at Championship level,” said Palmer.
“But then again, he might go to the Everton’s or the West Ham’s of this world, who might loan him out to Middlesbrough for a season where he can gather some experience because you’ve got to remember that Blackpool are in League One, they’re not in the Championship.
“Yes, he’s doing really well at that level, but although he’s very technically gifted, whether he can jump up two levels remains to be seen.
“It could be that he goes to a Premier League club like West Ham or Everton, and they view him as a long-term option for the future and he is loaned out to the Championship for the season.”
West Ham in the mix to sign Karamoko Dembele
It would certainly be an interesting signing for West Ham to make after Dembele has been in fine form for Blackpool this season.
The winger has registered six goals and 11 assists in 32 appearances for the Tangerines as he looks to help them gain promotion to the Championship in this campaign.
There is a good chance that he could wish to remain with Brest, who currently sit second in Ligue 1, as Champions League football could potentially be on offer next season.
But after he came through the ranks at Celtic and has spent this year on loan at Bloomfield Road, perhaps he may want to return to the UK permanently this summer.
It’s no real surprise to see the Hammers linked with a move to sign him as it’s widely known that technical director Tim Steidten is scouring the market for exciting young talents he could bring in at the London Stadium.
In other West Ham news, Jim White and Simon Jordan have been caught in an explosive row over a Hammers controversy.
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