A midfielder with the skill-set of Moises Caicedo and the ball-winning qualities of Premier League icon N’Golo Kante? That is certainly something the West Ham United fans could get behind.
And while some may be tempted to scoff at the fact that this 21-year-old from the Belgian Pro League dares to mention himself alongside two genuinely world-class Chelsea enforcers past and present, it is worth remembering the humble beginnings from which both Caicedo and Kante emerged.
Caicedo started out in his native Ecuador before Brighton and Hove Albion – the eternal diamond-polishers – snapped him up from Independiente del Valle. Kante joined then-relegation-tipped Leicester City from Caen back in 2015, going on to lift the Premier League, the FA Cup and the World Cup trophy over the next three years.
So while West Ham United target Tochukwu Nnadi is a million miles away from achieving what two of his footballing role models have achieved in the game, the Londoners could be landing themselves an elite-level defensive midfielder right at the start of his footballing journey.
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According to Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad, West Ham have developed quite the ‘crush’ on the dynamic Nigeria international.
Sporting director Mark Noble was initially driving the pursuit of Nnadi, per Africa Foot, and now it appears that others at the London Stadium have caught on to the 22-year-old’s talents.
West Ham United target Tochukwu Nnadi opens up on N’Golo Kante inspiration
Africa Foot claimed back in December that West Ham, encouraged by Noble, had scouted Nnadi on a number of occasions for Zulte Waregem over in Belgium.
The Premier League strugglers were even reported to be considering a bid in the region of £3.5 million, while offering the former Botev Plovdiv starlet a five-year contract. Het Nieuwsblad’s claims only add fuel to this particular fire.
In quotes reported by the Daily Post, meanwhile, Nnadi offered an insight into the quality he could bring to a midfield short of depth, aggression and real ball-winning intensity.
“I enjoy being aggressive, both when I’m not holding the ball and when I am,” he admits.
You can say that again.
Nnadi has picked up 19 yellow cards and one red in 56 appearances since leaving Bulgaria for Belgium. Zulte Waregem coach Sven Vandenbroeck feels ‘that [aggression] is partly his strength’, although he admits the curbing those late lunges is a must.
“I stay calm [on the ball] like Moise Caicedo and Ngolo Kante,” adds Nnadi, who has an 85 per cent pass completion rate this season.
“I also like [former Manchester United man Sofyan] Amrabat. I watch him a lot. And I also look at [Besiktas’ former Leicester ace] Wilfred Ndidi.”
Sven Vandenbroeck says Zulte Waregem will not lose Nnadi without a fight
Interestingly, back in December, Nuno admitted he planned to watch the Africa Cup of Nations on the rare occasions he found himself with any free time over the festive period. And not just because El Hadji Malick Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are away on AFCON duty, with Senegal and DR Congo respectively.
Nnadi has only played 14 minutes for Nigeria so far. But should he find himself on the pitch from the quarter-finals onwards – the Super Eagles thrashed Mozambique 4-0 to reach the last four on Monday – then Nuno might just catch a few glimpses of a player club legend Noble clearly rates very highly.
Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad late last month, though, Vandenbroeck is desperate to keep Nnadi in Belgium until the summer at least. With Zulte Waregem only three points above the relegation zone, their survival may depend on it.
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“Nnadi is highly sought after, but I have asked the club to do everything possible to keep him,” Vandenbroeck says, albeit while accepting that there may be bids they literally cannot afford to turn down.
“I’m not worried about the transfer window. It will mainly depend on the sums offered. If a club comes with an amount that Zulte Waregem cannot refuse, then we have to be realistic.
“The goal is always to come out stronger, or at least stay at the same level. If someone leaves, we must be ready to respond. But at the moment, there is no reason to panic.
“The fact that there is interest in our players is a compliment to the work we are doing here. It means we are on the right track and that our players are showing their value on the pitch.
“I have my say, but the financial aspect is obviously for the board.”
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