25-year-old Senegalese international Kara Mbodj, who currently plays for Genk in Belgium, has gained interest from West Ham and Celtic. Mbodj plays much like Cheikhou Kouyate, who arrived at West Ham last season from Anderlecht in Belgium, and the fact that he is a teammate with Kouyate and Diafra Sakho for Senegal could be attractive for the player.
Genk coach Peter Maes, speaking in an interview with HNL, hinted that Mbodj could leave the club this summer.
“I want two new strikers and also a midfielder, and as Kara [Mbodj] leaves, we will still have to bring in a defender.”
As reported earlier this summer, West Ham were ready to place a bid of £4m for Mbodj, who could be the next Kouyate, but a snag with work permits would delay the transfer deal until August. The question of if
West Ham need another centre-back has popped up already when linked to Dejan Lovren and Antonio Rudiger surfaced, however Mbodj offers more with his ability to play in the midfield. After the stellar debut season for Kouyate, Mbodj, a strong-bodied centre-back and defensive midfielder, is seen as a player who can produce a similar impact as Kouyate.
Celtic are also after Mbodj, boasting Champions League football as a major selling point as they attempt to replace Virgil van Dijk, who won’t be joining West Ham after we pulled out of an £8m move. Celtic’s Dutch centre-back looks to favour a move to a number of Premier League teams interested. For the Hammers, however, Premier League football and the familiar faces of Kouyate and Sakho make the Boleyn Ground a prime target to land Mbodj.
