West Ham United have made concrete progress with a move to sign FC Metz’s Alpha Touré in the summer transfer window.
The Premier League side had already looked at the defensive midfielder in the winter market.
In January, Sport Witness relayed news of West Ham’s initial offer of €7m. The source had reported the Hammers returning with an improved bid but that didn’t happen in the same window.
A month later, the Senegalese midfielder revealed he was happy with West Ham’s interest and talked about his dream of moving to England.
At that time, he said: “It’s always flattering when clubs like West Ham or Beşiktaş show interest in me. It shows that I still have to work hard. But I’m under contract with Metz and I’m very focused on my season. I leave that to my representatives [my family] and the club,” Touré explained.
“I’m concentrating on the pitch. As long as I’m wearing the Metz shirt, I give 100%… The Premier League is a very intense championship, with a lot of pace and impact. It’s a dream for many players. But one thing at a time.”
West Ham in talks for Touré
Fast forward to May and Dsports in Senegal cover the latest on West Ham’s interest in Alpha Touré.
The outlet make it clear it’s their own update that Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have reached an agreement in principle with the 20-year-old.
He left Génération Foot for FC Metz in July 2024 and played 21 matches last season, when the club secured a promotion to Ligue 1.
When compared to last season [1,042 minutes], the midfielder’s game time improved this season. His league stats are as follows:
Appearances: 30
Starts: 16
Total minutes: 1,611
Minutes per game: 54
His performances already caught the attention of other clubs, including Anderlecht, but the London club are in pole position. Having reached an agreement in principle, West Ham are ready to pay £6m [€6.9m] to convince the French club.
The Hammers are making progress in their talks and have a ‘significant advantage’ over competitors. If there are no fresh setbacks or last-minute twists, West Ham could finalise the operation this week.
Relegation impact on West Ham move?
On Sunday, West Ham United suffered a 3-1 loss to Newcastle United in the league. The latest result means the Hammers are still in the relegation zone, two points behind 17th placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have a game in hand.
There’s no mention on what will happen with Alpha Touré if the Hammers drop to the Championship.