West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw, a target for Real Madrid.
According to Manuele Baoicchini, West Ham United are currently leading the race to sign Malick Thiaw. The Premier League club will face competition from La Liga giants Real Madrid for the 22-year-old defender.
The centre-back has established himself as an important first-team player for AC Milan, and it remains to be seen whether the Serie A outfit are prepared to sanction his departure. West Ham need to bring in more quality in their squad, and Thiaw would be a solid long-term acquisition.
The 22-year-old has the potential to improve further, and he could develop into a top-class Premier League defender. Meanwhile, Kurt Zouma faces an uncertain future at the London Stadium. So, the interest in Thiaw is understandable.
The German defender is likely to cost a substantial amount of money, and it remains to be seen whether West Ham are prepared to pay a premium for him. AC Milan signed him for a fee of around €8.6 million last year, and they will look to make a healthy profit on him.
West Ham must look to move quickly to beat the competition from Real Madrid. The Spanish giants are the biggest club in the world and the opportunity to join them can be hard to turn down for any player. West Ham will not want to enter into a competition with them and they should look to secure an agreement with AC Milan quickly.
The Hammers could look to sanction the departure of Kurt Zouma during the winter transfer window, and they will need to bring in a quality replacement. The 22-year-old German defender seems like the ideal acquisition.
Thiaw is versatile enough to operate as a central defender as well as a full-back. He could prove to be a quality option for the Hammers and his versatility will be an added bonus.
The opportunity to move to the Premier League could be an exciting opportunity for the player and he will look to prove himself at the highest level. The 22-year-old certainly has the physical and technical attributes to thrive in English football, and he could be a key player for West Ham in the coming seasons.
