West Ham Express ‘Real Interest’ In 20-year-old Who Will Cost Over €20m | OneFootball

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West Ham United have expressed an interest in Lille midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau, but face needing to pay a fee ‘exceeding €20m’ to be able to land him.

Following the capture of goalkeeper Mads Hermansen from Leicester City, which impressed one Hammers legend, Graham Potter is now switching his attention to midfield.

He has been keen on Juventus’ wantaway star Douglas Luiz, but that deal may be out of the Hammers’ price range.

Other targets are being considered, including Club Brugge’s Raphael Onyedika, but now Lille’s Mukau is on the list.

West Ham have, according to Sky Sport Switzerland, ‘expressed a real interest’ in snapping up the 20-year-old.

While moving to the Premier League may be tempting for the DR Congo international, Lille will not make an exit easy.

The Ligue 1 side ‘will demand a sum exceeding €20m’ in order to let Mukau depart for the London Stadium this summer.

Whether that is a level of offer which West Ham are willing to go to remains to be seen, while they also have other irons in the fire.

Lille only signed Mukau from Belgian side Mechelen last summer, splashing an initial €4m to take him to France.

The midfielder has flourished at Lille and turned out for the club in their Champions League campaign last term.

At international level, despite turning out for Belgium in the youth ranks, Mukau opted to represent the DR Congo.

If he does join West Ham, then the Hammers will have to make do without him for the Africa Cup of Nations at the end of the year.

DR Congo are in Group D at the tournament in Morocco, along with Senegal, Benin and Botswana, and should they make it to the knockout stage, West Ham would be without him into the new year.