West Ham make £17m decision as Marseille and Monaco lurk | OneFootball

Mohamadou Kanté is attracting interest from a number of clubs

West Ham are set for a busy summer after suffering relegation from the Premier League.

The Hammers finished 18th in the table under Nuno Espírito Santo, and he will now be aiming to guide the club to promotion from the Championship in 2027.

The London outfit haven’t competed in the second tier of English football since 2012, when they won the play-offs under Sam Allardyce.

There is sure to be a lot of transfer activity when the market officially opens on 15 June, with a lot of ins and outs expected.

West Ham will be keen to ensure they have a team capable of fighting for automatic promotion once the campaign gets underway.

The Irons will have until 1 September to complete any deals before the window shuts for the remainder of the calendar year.

West Ham midfielder attracts transfer interest

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It has been reported by French outlet Foot Mercato that Mohamadou Kanté is attracting interest from Marseille and Monaco ahead of the window opening next week.

It’s believed that the Hammers have set a €20 (£17) million price tag following their relegation.

There are understood to be up to 20 clubs scouting the 20-year-old, with an exit from the London Stadium now increasingly likely.

There are teams in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A taking an interest in the player, as well as sides in Scotland and Austria.

Kanté joined West Ham in the 2024 summer transfer window, but has struggled for regular game time in the two years since arriving from Paris FC.

He went back to the French club on loan in 2024/25 where he made six appearances in Ligue 1.

Following his return to the London Stadium, the midfielder played 11 times in the Premier League, with each appearance coming as a substitute.

Kanté has a contract with West Ham until June 2031, giving the Hammers a lot of leverage in any upcoming negotiations.

However, his lack of game time could open the door to a permanent exit this summer, especially given how many clubs are now circling.

While his price has been set at £17.2 million, it’s expected that clubs could make loan offers and West Ham could even be open to reducing that figure.

The club are likely to want to raise funds this summer, with other players like Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville also attracting interest after their relegation to the Championship.

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Mohamadou Kanté sale makes sense for West Ham

Kanté is still only 20, and has the potential to become an important player for West Ham if he can continue developing and gaining experience.

However, with the need to raise money through player sales, this is the kind of move that they might need to make as a consequence of relegation.

Bringing in around £17 million for someone that’s not a key part of the team can help the club in their larger transfer negotiations, such as with Fernandes and Summerville.

But that’s only if they hold firm and stick to their asking price, instead of sanctioning a loan with an option to buy, or lowering their demands.