West Ham United and Everton appear to have stolen a march on their rivals in the race to sign one of the game’s most trophy-laden players.
Both West Ham and Everton desperately require further reinforcements in the January transfer window.
Nuno Espirito Santo and David Moyes are both keen to bolster their respective ranks in pretty much every single department.
However, more energy, dynamism, mobility and athleticism in the engine room is something that both the West Ham and Everton managers really crave.
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West Ham have made some statement signings in January already, having brought in Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe.
Meanwhile, Everton are yet to make any January signings.
West Ham and Everton desperately chasing new additions in January
The Toffees are sitting comfortably in mid-table right now and are actually just four points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool.
Meanwhile, West Ham are in a completely different situation.
The Hammers are embroiled in a relegation battle and there is a genuine chance that they could lose their Premier League status this season.
Nuno is clearly very keen to bring more players in before the January window closes in order to give his side the best chance of avoiding the drop.
That is easier said than done, though.
The Hammers do not have limitless funds, so the former Wolves, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest boss will have to be thrifty in his player recruitment.
It seems like that’s exactly what Nuno intends to do, with his eye said to be on signing a highly experienced winner.
West Ham and Everton lead the race to sign N’Golo Kante
Everton and West Ham appear to be in a strong position to sign one of the best defensive midfielders in recent history.
N’Golo Kante has won the Premier League, Champions League and the World Cup during his illustrious career.
He has been on the Hammers’ radar for quite some time.
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In fact, it was recently claimed that Kante is open to joining West Ham in January.
And now, the Hammers appear to be in pole position to obtain his signature, alongside Everton.
According to Sabah, West Ham and Everton are willing to pay a fee for Kante.
That means that the Hammers and the Toffees are better placed than Fenerbahce to sign the 34-year-old Frenchman, because the Turkish outfit would rather not pay a fee for him, with his contract with Al-Ittihad set to expire in the summer.
Kante may well be past his best physically, but he’s still extremely fit and is more than capable of getting around the pitch in a workmanlike fashion.
The Frenchman would be a very useful addition for West Ham, if he’s available for a reasonable fee, of course.
Whether the Hammers are able to beat Everton to his signature remains to be seen, though.
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