West Ham rekindle interest for 22-year-old defender

West Ham United have added Etienne Youte Kinkoue to their defensive target list, with the Le Havre player potentially available.

According to L’Equipe, Le Havre defender Etienne Youte Kinkoue has emerged on West Ham’s radar ahead of the summer, as the London club continues to look for a suitable centre back. The 22-year-old defender is entering the final year of his contract with the Ligue 1 club and might be sold.

West Ham chasing Etienne Youte Kinkoue

West Ham have set out to sign a new defender in this market, and they have already added Etienne Youte Kinkoue to their expanding list of candidates. The 22-year-old defender has had a good season with Le Havre, appearing in 24 games across all competitions, and has a strong possibility of moving to a bigger club in the summer.

Kinkoue will be entering the final year of his contract, and Le Havre may be forced to cash in now rather than let him go for free. Nottingham Forest is apparently interested in signing the defender, in addition to West Ham. The Hammers expressed interest in the 22-year-old Ligue 1 defender in January but were unable to finalize the transfer.

However, they now have a good chance of bringing their former target to the London Stadium and may only have to pay a premium fee in January. Could he be a good candidate to help them improve as a club and reach the Premier League’s top six?

West Ham’s defensive targets

West Ham United recently failed to complete a transfer for Fabricio Bruno, after the Brazilian defender dropped out of the deal despite the Hammers agreeing on a fee with Flamengo. They also have Udinese defender Neheuen Perez on their list, and he is another star who could be available.

Jayden Oosterwolde of Fenerbahce is also a late target, indicating that the Hammers are aggressively looking for a new centre-back. However, they may have a certain budget in mind for this new centre-back.