West Ham are interested in a summer move for 21 year old on loan Royal Antwerp midfielder Mandela Keita, with manager David Moyes said to be keen on strengthening his defensive midfield options ahead of next season.

Tim Steidten, who was appointed as the Hammers technical director last summer, is looking across the market at various options in preparation for the summer transfer window and is believed to be keeping a keen eye on Keita.

Defensive midfield is a position West Ham could well look to strengthen in preparation for next season. On loan Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips has struggled for form and to make an impact in West Ham’s midfield since making the move to East London.

The statistics show that Keita, on loan at Antwerp from OH Leuven, is outperforming Phillips across a number of areas so far this season.

West Ham would be interested in providing fresh competition to the likes of Edson Alvarez and Tomas Soucek, GIVEMESPORT sources understand that manager David Moyes is unlikely to push the club’s owners into laying out the lucrative fee it would take to land Kalvin Phillips on a permanent basis.

If Phillips does leave the Hammers in the summer, this could open the door for a potential move for Keita who has been labelled an ‘exceptional talent’ by respected journalist and scout Antonio Mango.
Keita’s loan deal from OH Leuven is set to become a permanent move at the end of the season. However, Royal Antwerp may be left with no choice but to cash in come the summer if a large offer is presented to them.

A number of clubs including Manchester United and Villareal are also reportedly interested in making a move for the 21 year old Belgian, a highly rated talent. It will be interesting to see whether the Hammers do decide to test the waters with an opening offer for the midfielder once the summer transfer window opens.

Written by Finlay Jackson