Julen Lopetegui needs to add some real power and athleticism to his engine room at West Ham this summer, and Youssouf Fofana could well be the man for the job.
Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana has been heavily linked with a move to West Ham on multiple occasions in the past.
The Frenchman was being tipped as the man to replace Declan Rice at the London Stadium in the summer of 2023.
The Hammers’ interest in signing Fofana has been rekindled over the past few weeks, as Julen Lopetegui looks to add some real steel to his central midfield ranks.
Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse performed their roles admirably last season, but our lack of mobility in the middle of the park was definitely problematic.
Flynn Downes looks like he could be sold to Southampton this summer, so the addition of a top-class midfielder is definitely required at the London Stadium.
And Lopetegui has a really simple fix to our lack of power in the middle of the pitch…
You won’t believe the fee West Ham must pay for Youssouf Fofana
Signing the Monaco star should be a very easy decision to make for the Hammers in the summer transfer window.
The central midfield powerhouse possesses energy, athleticism, dynamism and strength in abundance. He’s ideally built for Premier League football.
The 25-year-old has an incredible physique, but he’s not all about pace and power. The Frenchman is very good with the ball at his feet. He has been described as an ‘unreal’ midfielder by Monaco’s official website.
In 32 games for Monaco last season, Fofana bagged four goals and four assists. During those appearances, he averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and one clearance per game (Who Scored).
Youssouf Fofana is an absolute powerhouse box-to-box midfielder, and he possesses all of the attributes that West Ham are currently lacking in the middle of the park.
Signing him should be an absolute no-brainer now, with Alfredo Pedulla claiming that Monaco are demanding just €15 million (£13 million) for the France international.
The only problem is that both AC Milan and Juventus want to sign him as well, and it may well be hard for the Hammers to beat the Italian giants to the 25-year-old’s signature.
Did you know Youssouf Fofana was a Pizza delivery boy?
The Frenchman certainly hasn’t travelled the conventional path to elite level football.
After being dropped from the France national academy in Clairefontain as a 15-year-old, Fofana incredibly worked as a pizza delivery boy between 2014 and 2017.
He then joined Strasbourg as an 18-year-old before earning his big move to Monaco in 2020.
The fact that he has reached the very highest level in the game now is testament to his hard work, elite mentality and of course, undisputed talent.
West Ham should be targeting players with attitudes like Fofana as much as we can.
Not only is he an incredible player and an awesome athlete, but he’s clearly got his head screwed on as well. I really hope we sign him this summer.
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