West Ham United are considering signing Genoa defender Koni De Winter during the summer transfer window.
According to the Sunday Mirror (printed edition, page 70), the Hammers are looking to strengthen their defence and have identified the “Belgium star” as one of their top targets.
The 22-year-old is a “versatile” defender who can play at centre-back, full-back, or defensive midfield.
Italian clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan are interested in signing the former Juventus player. He has been impressive under Patrick Vieira at Genoa, and Juventus has a 20% sell-on clause for the defender.
Graham Potter will be eager to stamp his influence in the summer transfer window, and adding new defensive players could be a top goal. Last summer, there were eight new entrants, and Potter may need to sell a few players before making any purchases.
According to the source, Konstantinos Mavropanos may depart the club, while Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell’s contracts are about to expire.
Winter can play at a variety of positions. This season, he has made 15 starts in Serie A and one appearance from the bench. He’s scored three goals in the league.
The Hammers have had another poor season. Last season, they ended ninth in the rankings, conceding 74 goals. They have conceded 47 goals this season and currently rank 16th in the Premier League.
The results have improved under Potter, but there is still much work to be done. De Winter might be a sensible signing for the Hammers, but convincing him to go to the London Stadium could be difficult, especially if the two Milan teams enter the race.
