Plenty of eyes will once again be fixed on Mohamadou Kante if, as expected, the midfielder starts for West Ham United in their second pre-season game of the summer against Stevenage.
After all, Kante is the one many Hammers are tipping for a breakout season in claret and blue.
Carlton Cole called him the ‘jewel’ in the crown of West Ham United’s current academy crop. Kante has even been likened to Patrick Vieira, and on more than one occasion.
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But as one of Hammers News Talking Point users put it, following the 1-1 draw with Southend on Saturday, Mohamadou Kante looked less like Vieira and more like a young Cheikhou Kouayate.
Not that this was intended as an insult. Kouyate was a fine player across four years in East London from 2014 to 2018. But while the youngster’s imposing frame and long legs may be reminiscent of the former Senegal international in his claret and blue pomp, the feeling is that Kante played within himself somewhat on a day when Keiber Lamadrid was the most eye-catching of the West Ham midfielders.
Mohamadou Kante has a lot more to offer at West Ham United
So, if Kante is to become a regular at the heart of Nuno Espirito Santo’s midfield, what does he need to improve upon? Starting with tonight’s trip to Stevenage.
“Learn to make telling passes,” one Hammers News reader advises. “[Kante] reminds me of Cheikhou Kouyate in build and stature, but just doesn’t do enough to warrant a first-team place at the moment.”
Considering that Kante made mincemeat of lower-league opposition in the EFL Trophy last season, it was not unfair to suggest that fifth-tier Southend could’ve struggled to live with his running power from deep.
“You’ve got Kante who’s just… wow. A player like Patrick Vieira,” Colchester coach Danny Cowley said after a 1-0 West Ham win in December 2025. “Incredible athleticism and physicality.”
But those stand-out attributes didn’t really, well, stand out at Roots Hall, though.
Kante kept things simple while Lamadrid played with a greater sense of swagger alongside him. One can understand why the former Paris FC kid might have played this way.
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He is still relatively new to first-team football, after all. Perhaps he feared that Nuno would not take kindly to a couple of reckless give-aways.
Yet, Nuno did not make Kante a regular at Rush Green while handing him eleven Premier League appearances because he admired his ability to play safe, sidewards passes in the centre of the park. The Hammers boss wants a box-to-box buccaneer, not a French version of James Ward-Prowse.
Kante will hope to impress when the Hammers face Stevenage
The overarching feeling, meanwhile, is that, for all the hype, Kante remains a young player in need of time, patience, and confidence. Three things he should get a fair bit of in the Championship.
“Release the beast,” another fan quips, hoping to see the Kante Kraken ensnare a few Stevenage sailors at Broadhall Way. “Let him rain havoc on the Championship. We could have our own Patrick Vieira.”
“I watched him last season playing for the U21s and he stood out in most games. Maybe he needs another twelve months growing to attain the physicality for the first-team.”
“Saw him shed-loads last season in the U21s. Great physicality, many poor final passes.”
“If this player gets more support and encouragement from the manager, we will see the best of him. He has already demonstrated that he has what is needed to succeed in the Premier League. Now, we just need to give him more starts in the Championship to get us back to where we belong.”
“We’ve needed a box-to-box midfielder like Kante for years. [Declan] Rice was the last one you could say was that type of player. But Kante reminds me of Kouyate, so the more he plays, the better he will get. He must be one of the first names on the team sheet!”
“Play him, he’s young and will improve. One dodgy game [at Southend] isn’t a true test.”
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