West Ham United are plotting a January swoop to sign Zulte Waregem midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi, according to TEAMtalk.
The Hammers are 18th in the Premier League table after 15 matches, albeit just two points from safety as the season nears its halfway mark, and they’re looking to reinforce their squad.
One area they’re looking to reinforce is midfield, with Nnadi now being eyed. The Nigerian midfielder began his European journey with Bulgarian side Botev Plovdiv, where his performance earned him a place in the Nigeria U20 World Cup squad in 2023.
His performance for Ladan Boso’s Flying Eagles side, where they defeated the likes of Argentina and eventual runners-up Italy, was impressive, with Nnadi playing an influential role in midfield that attracted the interest of several clubs.
Zulte Waregem were able to beat competition to land the defensive midfielder in January 2024, and he has since been an indispensable figure in the middle of the park.
Despite meeting several already established midfielders in the team when he joined, he has become an indispensable figure for De Boeren’s side, featuring in all 15 Jupiler Pro League games this season.
According to TEAMtalk, West Ham are leading several Premier League clubs in the race for Nnadi and are now plotting a swoop to sign him in the January transfer window.
The Hammers see the 22-year-old as the perfect combative, ball-winning midfield profile Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are desperately in need of, and the club are now preparing a £3.5m formal offer with a five-year contract also being prepared, as per the report.
Combative midfielder
However, the Nigerian is also attracting interest from other Premier League clubs, with the report adding that the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United, Newcastle United, and Crystal Palace are set to battle West Ham for the midfielder’s signature.
West Ham have conceded 29 goals in 15 games this season, the joint third most in the Premier League behind Burnley (30) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (33).
More worrying is their abysmal clean sheet record: they have kept only one in 16 matches across all competitions, in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in August.
With Tomas Soucek facing an uncertain future at the club, Nnadi would be a viable option to replace the Czech international, as he can offer the much-needed cover to Nuno’s backline should the club win the race to sign him.
