West Ham United hold initial talks for Amiens defender Formose Mendy
According to The Athletic, Premier League side West Ham United are in negotiations with French side Amiens for Formose Mendy.
The 22-year-old spent time at Porto and Club Brugge before moving to Club NXT in 2021. It eventually translated into a transfer to Amiens, a move that has seen his reputation soar.
Mendy has made 52 appearances for the Ligue 2 side and is a key member of the Amiens’ first team. This has brought him to the attention of David Moyes and West Ham.
The Hammers have so far held opening conversations and could make a move for the player should he continue to improve. A lot could depend on whether Craig Dawson moves to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the coming weeks.
The 32-year-old’s potential exit will leave the Hammers short in defence, a key weakness given that they are struggling to stay out of the Premier League relegation zone.
Mendy was part of the Senegal side that travelled to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He is still in the infancy of his career and has a long way to go before fulfilling his potential. At 6ft 3in, Mendy is a giant of a player who can develop into a rock at the heart of the defence.
The Hammers have struggled to keep clean sheets this season, shipping in 24 goals in 18 games. While they still have the joint-best defensive record among teams in the lower half, their lack of goal-scoring prowess makes it all the more imperative that the rearguard stays solid.
Amiens are in the running to secure promotion to the top flight and value Mendy as a key player. They have already rejected overtures from RC Lens, rejecting a £7 million bid from the Ligue 1 side. Whether the Hammers will ramp up their efforts should Dawson leave is debatable.
Moyes and co have already brought in a defender this season in Brazilian starlet Luizao. However, given what is at stake, the Londoners are better off pursuing proven players rather than an up-and-coming star like Mendy.
