West Ham United want to sign Mandela Keita as Antwerp seek ‘Jackpot’
West Ham want to sign Belgium international Mandela Keita from Antwerp this summer ahead of a host of English clubs, according to Nieuwsblad.
Writing on their website (9 May), the Belgian news outlet report that the central midfielder has emerged as a target for the Hammers as well as Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn, Leeds and Norwich ahead of the summer window.
But Antwerp are “aiming for the jackpot” when it comes to the 21-year-old, who “wants to make the move” away from his homeland ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Julen Lopetegui to oversee a squad overhaul at West Ham United
This summer is going to be an incredibly busy one at the London Stadium, with David Moyes leaving and Julen Lopetegui expected to be coming in and a host of players likely to move on.
Lucas Paqueta is expected to head to Manchester City, while Ben Johnson is one of another five who has been tipped to move on when their contracts expire.
So that means plenty of replacements will need to be brought in over the summer window, and a player like Keita would be a shrewd signing as he brings youth, quality and room for improvement all in one.
Central midfield is a position that will need to be strengthened, and Lopetegui likes to play a certain way that will require athleticism and quality on the ball at the same time.
With a host of clubs interested in bringing him in, the Irons will need to move quickly to get a deal done and that’s exactly why the managerial pursuit was done the way it was. Plans can be made early and the club have the chance to add to the squad early.
In other West Ham news, Jamie Carragher has predicted the result of Moyes’ final home game against Luton.
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