West Ham United have reportedly joined the race to land Ivorian defender Odilon Kossounou from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen.
According to The Sun, Premier League side West Ham United have become the latest team to join the race for Bayer Leverkusen ace Odilon Kossounou.
The 22-year-old joined the Bundesliga outfit from Club Brugge in 2021 and has since gone on to establish himself as a first-team regular. Kossounou has made 55 appearances for Xabi Alonso’s side, making three assists. He is not, however, enjoying the best of campaigns and has recently fallen out of favour.
A versatile centre-back, the Ivory Coast international is also capable of doing a job at right-back or further upfield as a defensive midfielder. This will give David Moyes options should he want to switch his tactics around.
West Ham were keen to land Kossounou on loan in January but failed in their bid to do so. They now look set to make a renewed approach to secure him in the upcoming summer transfer window. An offer of around £25 million should be enough to convince Bayer Leverkusen to part ways with the 22-year-old.
The Hammers are not enjoying a good 2022/23 season and are very unlikely to qualify for Europe. In fact, the east London club are a mere two points above the relegation zone and are fighting for their lives.
Despite their poor run of form, the West Ham defence has not been too bad. In fact, they have conceded 29 goals in the league this season, just six more than table-toppers Arsenal. The Hammers also have the best defensive record of any side in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Angelo Ogbonna is not getting any younger, while Kurt Zouma has not really matured into the colossus the club thought he would. Thilo Kehrer and Nayef Aguerd have had their moments but are far from dominant at the back. A revamp of the centre-back roster is needed. And Kossounou will certainly aid in that effort.
The path to landing the Ivory Coast international will not be easy with both Leicester City and Nottingham Forest also in the fray. A move to the Premier League appears likely for the 22-year-old. And Moyes will hope that it proves to be second time lucky for the Hammers. But it is unclear if West Ham will shell out £25 million for him.
