West Ham are hot on the heels of Utrecht defender Souffian El Karouani ahead of the January transfer window.
Nuno Espirito Santo has made a clear demand to the board ahead of the window to help him rebalance his side for the second half of the season.
Imagine if Nuno were to be sacked…😮
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Ahead of West Ham’s game against Brighton, they find themselves five points adrift of safety, staring down the barrel of relegation.
West Ham can sign Souffian El Karouani at 53% discount
Initially, it seemed West Ham would have to pay £6.5million to secure the services of the Morocco international.
Utrecht even turned down a similar figure last summer, but it seems like an exit is on the cards for the 25-year-old full-back.
Which position do West Ham need to strengthen the most and why? Who is your dream January signing?
According to the Mirror’s John Cross, he is set to be available for a knockdown price of only £3million in January.
That is because his contract is running out at the end of the season and with him not penning an extension, the Dutch club do not want to let him leave on a free transfer.
This means that he is available at a 53 per cent discount compared to what was quoted earlier and that could see the Hammers making a move for him.
Why El Karouani is perfect for West Ham
Ollie Scarles has struggled in El Hadji Malick Diouf’s absence and it makes sense to loan him out in January.
He needs more senior first-team experience, but at a level lower than the Premier League, so a Championship loan could be on the cards.
Bringing in El Karouani to deputise for and potentially take over from Diouf will give West Ham much-needed competition for places at left-back.
The Moroccan is prolific going forward and has already racked up 15 assists in all competitions this season.
At 25, he has got his best years ahead of him and will hit his peak in the next two or three years, which will be a very good long-term investment from the Hammers.
It remains to be seen whether or not they sign him or if they wait to strengthen other areas first.
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