Premier League side West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Olympique Lyon midfielder Thiago Mendes in the summer.
According to Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola (h/t Sport Witness), West Ham United are chasing the signing of Olympique Lyon’s 30-year-old defensive midfielder Thiago Mendes. The Hammers aren’t alone in his pursuit with the report claiming that Flamengo are planning to bring the midfielder back to Brazil.
Mendes started his career with Brazil’s Goias EC before moving to Sao Paulo and then to France with Lille in 2017. After two years with the Ligue 1 club, Mendes’ current club Lyon came calling and he has been with them since.
The 30-year-old has made 107 appearances for the club in about three seasons, scoring one and assisting ten goals. This season, the defensive midfielder has played 35 matches for the club across competitions, playing a crucial role in Lyon’s run to the quarter-final of the Europa League, where they fell to West Ham.
The Hammers are now planning to lure Mendes from Lyon and are preparing a summer move. West Ham will have just Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek left as senior options in the middle of the park with Mark Noble retiring at the end of the season and Alex Kral returning to Spartak Moscow after a largely underwhelming loan spell.
While Rice continues to be linked with an exit amid interest from several Premier League heavyweights, West Ham could retain his services for another year, even though he rejected a new contract proposal. With European football a strong possibility for next season, squad depth will be important. Mendes’ pursuit thus makes sense for West Ham United.
The 30-year-old Brazilian will have just a year remaining on his contract with Lyon after the ongoing season. And the French side would like to sell him this summer rather than risk losing him on a free deal next year. Warding off Flamengo’s interest should not be a big issue for West Ham.
The Hammers can offer a much better package to the midfielder than the Brazilian side and the chance to play in the Premier League is a lucrative offer in itself. Flamengo are said to be aware that they cannot compete with West Ham financially and are thus hoping that the east London outfit do not make an official approach for Mendes.
