West Ham United are reportedly set to battle Aston Villa for the summer signing of PSV Eindhoven defensive midfielder Ibrahim Sangare.
According to Calciomercato, Premier League duo West Ham United and Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Ibrahim Sangare ahead of the 2022 summer transfer window.
The Ivory Coast international has been a regular for PSV Eindhoven this season. Sangare plays a key role for the Dutch side as they continue to pursue Ajax Amsterdam in the Eredivisie title race. The 24-year-old also played in the KNVB Cup final earlier this month with PSV beating Ajax 2-1.
A defensive midfielder, Sangare moved to the Eredivisie from Toulouse in 2020 and has since continued to develop his game. At 24, he is entering his prime and appears to be ready to take his game to a higher level.
A move to England could be on the cards, with West Ham and Aston Villa both interested in signing Sangare. Both teams have shown promise of late and appear keen to build upon that potential in the summer.
Steven Gerrard enjoyed a fruitful January transfer window at Villa Park and has been largely successful in getting Aston Villa out of the relegation dogfight. He has a talented squad and can help the Midlands side grow more competitive with the right signings.
Aston Villa’s midfield has failed to turn up on several occasions, and adding a player of Sangare’s ability will offer them more steel in the middle of the park. The Ivorian is adept at making interceptions and winning back possession. He is also a force to be reckoned with in the air and has excellent passing ability to boot. Pairing the 24-year-old with John McGinn will add balance to the Aston Villa midfield.
While Aston Villa have potential, West Ham, at this moment in time, are punching above their weight. David Moyes has engineered a brilliant turnaround at the London Stadium and has also led the Hammers to the UEFA Europa League semi-finals.
English midfielder Declan Rice has been an inspirational figure for the Hammers this season. But Rice has been linked with a move away in the summer and will leave a huge hole in the Hammers’ midfield. Bringing in Sangare will certainly be more of a necessity for West Ham rather than a luxury if that were to happen.
Sangare certainly has what it takes to succeed and will develop further under the right guidance. A move to England will be his trial by fire and could determine just how high he can go in his career. Whether it will be to West Ham or Aston Villa remains to be seen.
