According to reports in French publication L’Equipe, West Ham United, Everton and Southampton are all interested in signing Caen forward Yann Karamoh this summer.
Following an impressive breakthrough campaign for the Ligue 1 outfit after making his first team debut in August, the 18-year-old has told the club that he won’t extend his current deal which is due to run out next summer according to L’Equipe, which means they could choose to cash in on him before the start of next season.
Caen only narrowly avoided relegation to Ligue 2 last term and the three interested English teams may consider testing the water with offers for the France Under-21 international in the coming weeks.
Irons manager Slaven Bilic is keen to strengthen his attacking options following a disappointing debut campaign at the London Stadium, and winning the race to sign the 18-year-old would certainly help to do that.
Here are three reasons West Ham must beat their Premier League rivals to Karamoh’s signature…
Statistics
It may have been his first season of professional football, but the 18-year-old certainly made a big impression in Ligue 1 as he helped Caen secure their top flight status for another year.
Able to play as a centre-forward or out wide, the attacker scored five goals and provided a further four assists in 36 appearances in all competitions.
He also showed his dribbling ability by successfully completing 50 take-ons, and he would certainly add some much-needed pace to the Irons frontline.
Missed out on Onyekuru
With the Irons seemingly set to lose out to Everton in the race to sign highly-rated KAS Eupen forward Henry Onyekuru, they will need to turn their attentions elsewhere as they look to add a dynamic young forward to their attacking options.
Karamoh may well be the next in line in that regard though following his form for Caen last season, and West Ham certainly won’t want to be beaten to the Frenchman’s signature by the Toffees again.
Age/Potential
Set to celebrate his 19th birthday next week, there is no doubt that Karamoh is explosive and looks to have a huge future ahead of him already following his eye-catching performances last season.
The fact that he only has a year left to run on his contract could mean that he could be picked up for a cut-price fee this summer, and his potential to improve could mean that his value rises significantly in the coming years if he develops and is given opportunites at the London Stadium.
Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.
