West Ham United insider @ExWHUemployee has recently discussed the transfer link between the Hammers and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.
According to a recent report by Foot Mercato, the Irons are eyeing a swoop for the 22-year-old midfielder from Ligue 1 club Strasbourg.
However, it is noted that David Moyes’ side is not alone in its interest in the Frenchman as there are ‘several clubs’ which have inquired about him, one of which is Crystal Palace.
Bellegarde currently has until the summer of 2023 on his existing deal with Strasbourg and a market value of £3.6m according to Transfermarkt.
During the latest episode of The West Ham Way Podcast, the in-the-know podcaster @ExWHUemployee suggested that there may be some truth in the rumour, suggesting that he could be a replacement for Robert Snodgrass, who is reportedly close to joining former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce at West Bromwich Albion.
He said: “There’s a couple [of players] in France that we’ve looked at as well because the French league is in financial trouble.
“There’s a midfielder there called Jean-Ricner Bellegarde at Strasbourg. He is potentially a midfield option that could replace Snodgrass.
“Again, that’s not completely confirmed yet.”
TIF Thoughts on what @ExWHUemployee said about Jean-Ricner Bellegarde…
As can be seen in what the club insider had to say, it does seem that the link with Bellegarde does have some legs in it, however, it is “not completely confirmed”.
Would you be happy if West Ham signed Jean-Ricner Bellegarde?
No, he's not good enough
Yes, he's a good player
Seemingly, the midfielder would be a relatively decent signing despite the fact he has neither scored nor assisted a goal in 16 Ligue 1 appearances this season (per WhoScored).
Over those outings, he has earned a fairly solid 6.79/10 average rating, making him the joint-fourth-best performer in Strasbourg’s squad.
However, the same rating for West Ham in the Premier League this season would only make him the 11th-best performer for the club.
So, while the touted signing may not seem overly glamorous, the Frenchman could be a solid addition if he was bought for anywhere near his £3.6m market value.