West Ham United face two big obstacles in N’Golo Kante transfer
West Ham United are set to face two big obstacles in their pursuit of N’Golo Kante this summer, according to Dean Saunders.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Monday (July 22, 7:09am) Saunders discussed the France international’s links with the Hammers with co-host Jamie O’Hara and suggested the fee and the player’s salary are problematic in making a deal happen for the Al-Ittihad midfielder.
Julen Lopetegui is keen to bring the 33-year-old to East London having admired him for a long time, with Kante also said to be open to a move back to the Premier League (Sebastien Vidal).
Saunders was the first one to mention Kante, saying: “Kante is apparently coming back. They seem to be coming back, don’t they?”
O’Hara then responded: “It’s like as if they get there and they realise it’s not quite the level that they’re used to and it’s hard to be competitive in that because you thrive on the fans and the euphoria around the stadiums and game day.”
Saunders then added: “After watching Kante at the Euros, he’d be a good signing for anybody. West Ham are sniffing around him but the problem is the salary and the transfer fee. He’s 33-years-old.”
West Ham in pursuit of N’Golo Kante
West Ham are making waves in the transfer market this summer, having already spent £65.5million on Luis Guilherme and Max Kilman.
However, the club’s spending spree isn’t over yet. Lopetegui has his sights set on bringing in former Chelsea star Kante. Kante, now 33, showed his talent with stellar performances for France at Euro 2024.
Despite his age, Lopetegui believes Kante can still make a significant impact in the Premier League. The French midfielder currently plays for Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad, but he’s reportedly open to returning to England.
The Hammers are prepared to offer around £20million for Kante, who would compete with the likes of Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, and Tomas Soucek at the London Stadium.
However, the move is complicated by Kante’s lucrative contract with Al-Ittihad and the club’s financial strength, meaning Kante would likely need to push for the transfer himself.
The Hammers’ technical director, Tim Steidten, predicted a “busy summer” in the transfer window [Evening Standard, July 1], and the club is certainly living up to that promise.
In addition to Kilman and Guilherme, West Ham are also leading the race to sign Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson [The Mirror, July 19]. If they manage to secure Kante, it would be a significant coup for Lopetegui and a signal of West Ham’s ambitions this season.
In other West Ham news, a winner has been named in the race for Youssef En-Nesyri.
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