Why West Ham should make a move for Harold Moukoudi in January
Back in August 2018, Sky Sports had claimed that West Ham United were close to signing Harold Moukoudi from Le Havre. However, a deal didn’t go through and the defender stayed put at his current club.
A youth product of the Le Havre academy, Harold Moukoudi, 22, made his first-team debut for the club back in 2016. The French defender spent three years with Le Havre before signing for Saint-Etienne in June on a free transfer. His new deal will run until 2023.
The 22-year-old has had a stop-start debut season with Saint-Etienne so far, managing eight Ligue 1 appearances.
Despite an underwhelming start to the Ligue 1 season, West Ham must rekindle their interest in the central defender during the winter transfer window.
With the threat of relegation looming large, the pressure is building on manager Manuel Pellegrini.
One of the club’s best players from last season, Issa Diop, has struggled to live up to the expectations this time around. He definitely needs to up his game sooner rather than later.
However, one cannot ignore the fact that the Hammers need a new defender to partner Diop, as neither Fabian Balbuena nor Angela Ogbonna has performed consistently. In that regard, they must make a move for Harold Moukoudi.
The 22-year-old, who has represented the French national team at the U20 level, Moukoudi has the potential to work wonders in the coming years. At 6ft 3in, the French defender of Cameroonian descent has shown the strength and character of a modern-day defender.
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As per WhoScored.com, he has registered an average of 2.6 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 3.9 clearances per game in the Ligue 1 this season. In addition, the former Le Havre star has attained an 87.7% pass success rate, with 1.3 long balls and 48.9 average passes per game.
Verdict
Moukoudi certainly has the potential to be a quality addition to West Ham’s backline and thus, the east Londoners should go all out to sign the French Under-20 international.