West Ham United keen on recruiting Lille midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau | OneFootball

West Ham United have approached Lille over a summer deal for defensive midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau, according to Sky Sports Switzerland journalist Sacha Tavolieri.

West Ham manager Graham Potter wants to bolster his options in the middle of the park at the London Stadium club for the new campaign, and the Ligue 1 star has emerged as a target.

The Hammers are in talks with the representatives of Mukau as they look to find out what personal terms will be like.

Lille are expected to demand around €20 million for the services of the 20-year-old ‘aggressive player’ with ‘enormous qualities’ after signing him in a €5m deal a year ago.

The Belgium-born DR Congo international played 35 games across all competitions last term and West Ham could do with his quality services in the middle of the park.

He cut his teeth in the Belgian Pro League with Mechelen for two seasons and was impressive in his first season in a top European league last term.

A move to the Premier League would appeal to him, and the Hammers could look to firm up their interest in him with a bid in the coming days.

Mukau can also play as an attacker or in a box-to-box role as he has a knack for playing through passes and breaking the lines, and his top-notch tackling abilities will make him perfect for the English top-flight.

He also loves to shoot from a distance and can be an occasional goal threat, and he boasts qualities Potter needs in a midfielder.

West Ham could lose Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta this summer or in the next after his betting charges were cleared, and they need a quality replacement for the 27-year-old.

The Hammers also need a long-term replacement for 30-year-old Tomas Soucek, and Mukau fits the bill given his huge potential and quality.