Odsonne Edouard: Paddy Kenny warns West Ham against signing Celtic striker | OneFootball

David Sullivan risks an unforgivable mistake if he persists with plans for West Ham United to sign Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, despite Paddy Kenny expressing significant concerns.

Reports by Football Insider have claimed that the Hammers co-owner and Chairman has urged agents to broker a blockbuster summer switch for Edouard to head to the London Stadium.

Sullivan is eager to see the Irons win the emerging race for the 23-year-old’s signature, and is using outside representatives to negotiate the terms of a deal amid suggestions the Hoops may have to accept a cut-price offer.

Edouard will enter the final year of his contract at Parkhead in June and has so far snubbed all efforts made by the Premiership giants to sign new terms, which could force Celtic to accept offers worth just £8-10m.

Celtic valued Edouard as high as £40m last summer before slashing their asking price to £25m in January, after he switched agents to ICM Stellar Sports who recently sealed London moves for Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney, Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell and Tottenham’s Joe Rodon.

Kenny feels West Ham could be making a mistake by adding Edouard to that list, as the former France U21 international is prone to throwing the towel in when things are not going his way.

“You don’t want someone who’s downed tools,” Kenny told Football Insider. “What’s to say he won’t do the same at West Ham as well? You need to be on it from the first minute to last in this league.

“If his work rate isn’t 100 per cent then he’s going to struggle in the Premier League anyway. You’ve got to think about that when you’re looking at him.”

Arsenal and Leicester City are also said to be among the potential suitors assessing moves to sign Edouard in the next transfer window after registering their interest with Celtic, while Brendan Rodgers is claimed to consider the striker a long-term successor for Jamie Vardy.

Sullivan beating the Gunners and Foxes to sealing Edouard’s signature would seemingly see the West Ham chief risk an unforgivable mistake, by wasting a golden chance to improve the London Stadium offence amid their search for Sebastien Haller’s replacement.

The Ivory Coast international’s move to AFC Ajax in January has given the Irons a chance to hit the reset button and find a striker who can persistently challenge Michail Antonio, rather than one not accustomed to David Moyes’ style that demands a high work rate.

Lacking that challenger would likely see West Ham struggle to maintain their surprise push for European qualification just a year after staving off the threat of relegation, and potentially crash out of the Champions or Europa League in the early stages if they make it.

West Ham fans would no doubt be left irate to see their side struggle on the continental stage because Sullivan signed a player with a poor attitude, given the east London outfit have not competed in a UEFA competition beyond the qualifying stages since the 2006/07 season.

Given Haller’s sorry spell in claret and blue also saw West Ham accept an offer £25m less than the club-record £45m paid to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019, Sullivan cannot get another striker signing wrong so soon.

AND in other news, West Ham have been rocked by a double injury blow ahead of hosting Chelsea…