West Ham United, Watford and Newcastle United have expressed respective interests in signing Prince Gouano from Amiens this month, according to claims from Le10 Sport.
The 26-year-old, who played on loan at Bolton Wanderers during the 2015/16 season, has been largely absent for his side this season, with Transfermarkt stating that he has missed months of action with a virus.
However, this has not stopped speculation from gathering with the January transfer window now open, and a Premier League trio have been touted with interest.
Read West Ham’s verdict
West Ham would benefit from strengthening their defence. Issa Diop has the potential to be a great centre-back, and this was only evidenced further by the tenuous links with a move to Manchester United in the summer.
However, in what has been an underwhelming season for the Hammers, which led to the club’s decision to sack Manuel Pellegrini and replace him with David Moyes, few players have truly impressed.
Gouano has captained Amiens during his only three Ligue 1 appearances this term, and at the age of just 26, could yet have his best years ahead of him.
West Ham have conceded 32 goals in the Premier League this season, and adding a new central defender to the ranks would not be a bad idea given the error-prone fashion of their performances.
Just whether or not Gouano would provide the answer to their problems is debatable, though, and the last thing that the Hammers need is another player who is dealing with fitness problems.
