West Ham may have found their ideal replacement for Mark Noble after reports resurfaced linking AS Roma’s Amadou Diawara with a switch to London Stadium.
According to reports from Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], the Hammers will be rivalled in their pursuit for the holding midfielder by Premier League rivals Leicester City as interest intensifies for the services of the 23-year-old.
Both clubs are reportedly ‘ready’ to meet the price tag of the Guinean international, which is set at €20m (£18.05m). This is said to be an ‘interesting’ figure from Roma’s perspective, indicating a willingness to sell the player for that fee. It aligns with his £18m valuation by Transfermarkt too, indicating a lack of inflation in Roma’s demands.
The report added that the Serie A side are looking to revamp elements of their squad as they look to raise funds from unwanted assets in the January window. In a further boost for West Ham, the Giallorossi have already identified his replacement in Uruguayan box-to-box man Nahitan Nandez from fellow Serie A side Cagliari.
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Diawara, who has missed most of this season through illness, could be courted by West Ham as a potential long-term replacement for club captain Mark Noble.
Diawara is ten years Noble’s junior and operates in a similar manner to the Irons veteran – he works hard on and off the ball, both making progressive and incisive runs whilst tracking back well to support the Hammers’ defence [WhoScored].
At less than £20m, he is a relatively affordable option in the current economic transfer climate and could prove to be a shrewd investment in the long run as the ever-loyal Noble enters the latter stages of his career.
