Southampton set to battle with West Ham for ex-Marseille player - but transfer hurdle has emerged | OneFootball

Southampton and West Ham both have their sights set on signing the 21-year-old

Southampton are set to compete with West Ham for the signing of Roggerio Nyakossi from Belgian outfit OH Leuven.

According to Nieuwsblad (January 8, 8:43am), the Jupiler Pro League club are not willing to listen to offers in the January transfer window, but a summer sale could be on the cards instead.

The defender joined Leuven - who are owned by Leicester City's King Power group and are chaired by Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanaprabha just like the Foxes are - last January from Marseille in a deal worth €800,000 (£700,000).

The 21-year-old has made 11 appearances in the league so far this season, contributing to two goals from the back, and is evidently earning a lot of plaudits for his recent performances.

Nyakossi has a contract with Leuven until the summer of 2027, having arrived on a two-and-a-half year deal, and his showings in a competitive league has seen overseas interest arrive.

Southampton set to compete for Roggerio Nyakossi signing with West Ham

Southampton are among the clubs eyeing a move to sign Nyakossi following his impressive performances for Leuven.

It is believed that the Belgian side will not sanction a move this winter, but that they will be open to offers as soon as February - the transfer window will still be open for the first couple of days that month, but no deal will be happening in the mid-season window as of now.

However, the Saints face competition from West Ham, who are currently facing the threat of relegation to the Championship.

There are also understood to be unnamed clubs in Germany keeping tabs on the player ahead of a potential move in the summer.

The defender has agreed with Leuven that he will conclude this campaign with the club, opening the door for a departure at the end of the term.

It’s been claimed that Leuven are expecting to earn a significant profit on the £700,000 paid to sign him 12 months ago.

Southampton are currently 15th in the Championship table, eight points adrift of the play-off places as they set their sights on competing for promotion.

Next up for the Saints is an FA Cup third round clash away to Doncaster Rovers on January 10 in a 3pm kick-off.

Roggerio Nyakossi is impressing in Belgium - Joshua Quarshie situation may worry Southampton though

There are a number of clubs scouting Nyakossi, but they will have to wait until the summer, which will be frustrating for Southampton.

The 21-year-old has shown plenty of potential, and he is someone that could bolster the team’s backline next season.

Competition from West Ham could be quite difficult to go up against, but if they are relegated from the Premier League then that should give them more of an even footing in the market.

But there's potential risks that come with a deal for someone like Nyakossi - would he be good enough for the Championship or Premier League immediately? Southampton already brought in a young defender from mainland Europe in the summer when landing Joshua Quarshie from Hoffenheim, but he's been in and out of the Saints starting 11, and hasn't particularly impressed.

Nyakossi would be a similar profile to that of Quarshie, but a lot can happen between now and the summer - the Saints could theoretically exit the transfer battle as soon as they entered it, especially with no real prospect of a deal being agreed this month.