West Ham United are prepared to pay £16million to land FC Basel’s in-demand enforcer Manuel Akanji, according to a reliable journalist.
Andreas Boni, who is head of football at Swiss newspaper Blick, reported on Twitter on Wednesday that the Hammers have joined the race for the 22-year-old centre-back.
Boni also claimed that German giants Borussia Dortmund are the enforcer’s preferred destination, but they first need to meet Basel’s £17.6million valuation.
As previously reported by Blick, Dortmund are the frontrunners for his signature, but their initial £13.3million bid is not deemed high enough, with Tottenham Hotspur also interested.
West Ham ist bereit, 18 Millionen Euro für Manuel Akanji zu bezahlen.
Nur bleibts dabei: Die Wahl des Spielers ist Borussia Dortmund. Wenn der BVB geforderten 20 Mio aufwirft, spricht alles für den Dortmund-Wechsel#bvb #fcbasel
— Andreas Böni (@AndreasBoeni) January 10, 2018
The 22-year-old speed machine spent much of last season on the treatment table with a serious knee injury, but he has recovered from that to become one of the first names on the team sheet at Basel.
He has completed 90 minutes in all but two of their matches in all competitions this season, and has impressed for them in the Champions League, particularly in their second clash with Manchester United, keeping a clean sheet as they won through 1-0.
In six European games so far this season, Basel have kept a clean sheet in four of them, with Akanji playing every minute.
Good move for West Ham?
Absolutely.
Akanji has shown this season that he can perform on Europe’s biggest stage, and he is ready for a move away from Switzerland.
His style of play looks totally suited to the rigours of the Premier League, with the 22-year-old not lacking in size, but also possessing some serious pace at the back.
£16million looks like a snip in today’s market, especially considering Akanji’s young age.
This is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
The Hammers are late to the party, and there is certainly a lot of competition for Akanji.
Dortmund, the player’s preferred destination, are obviously keen, as are Premier League rivals Tottenham and Liverpool.
However, West Ham seem to be ready with an offer for the 22-year-old, which looks to be further than any other club has got with their interest in the rapid enforcer.
That may put them in good stead to steal a march on their rivals, who look to be stalling at the moment.
This is Futbol rating: 5/10