France Under-21 international Kelvin Amian has apparently emerged as a transfer target for West Ham United.
According to claims from Ignazio Genuardi, as relayed in a report from GFFN, the Hammers are contemplating a late swoop to recruit the defender from Toulouse.
The January transfer window slams shut on Friday night, and having wrapped up the signing of Tomas Soucek on Wednesday and Darren Randolph earlier in the month, it seems the prospect of a Deadline Day deal is still on the club’s mind.
Amian has made 19 appearances for Toulouse in Ligue 1 this season and has contributed with two goals.
Read West Ham’s verdict
Pablo Zabaleta and Ryan Fredericks are currently West Ham’s only senior options on the right-hand side of the defence, but youth star Jeremy Ngakia made his full senior debut in the position against Liverpool on Wednesday night.
Some Hammers fans have been impressed by what they’ve seen from the 19-year-old, calling for him to start in the club’s upcoming crunch clash against Brighton and Hove Albion, but GFFN’s report suggests that David Moyes wants more quality at right-back.
Amian is an established international for France’s Under-21 side – he has made 16 appearances for them – and sees his contract expire at the end of next season.
Zabaleta is a player who is poised to become a free agent in the summer, with his deal set to come to an end, and it, therefore, makes sense to us that West Ham are looking towards the future for alternatives.
We think that Amian has displayed that he boasts plenty of potential given his recognition on the international stage, and also because of his versatility; as per WhoScored, the 21-year-old has featured as a central defender seven times this term.
In our opinion, progressive signings such as these are the way forward for West Ham. Panic buying seasoned pros with little room to grow could prove detrimental in the future, and players in the ilk of Amian could offer solutions for the here and now as well as the years to come.
