West Ham are keeping tabs on AS Bambey winger Victor Mendy, according to reports in the French media.
The 16-year-old has turned heads while playing for Senegal at the Under-17 World Cup. He scored in a 5-0 win over the United Arab Emirates in the final group game on Sunday, and there will be scouts present when his country play in the first knockout round later this week.
Top Mercato claim that Mendy is being “very closely followed” by the Hammers, along with six other teams.
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Belgian sides Anderlecht and Club Brugge, Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart and Turkish champions Galatasaray have been watching the forward in the tournament, along with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, but Ligue One giants Marseille and Chelsea affiliate Strasbourg have now also entered the fray.
Mendy cannot move to England straight away
Employment rules mean that West Ham would have to wait until the teenager turns 18 before securing his signature, and that would be a major disadvantage in the race to sign the player.
However, there are ways around this. Chelsea, for example, have signed pre-agreements with clubs to seal transfers for players under the age limit.
The most high-profile was the one agreed with Palmeiras for Estevao in 2024. The Blues waited over a year before he officially made the switch to Stamford Bridge back in August.
West Ham are continuing to scour the market for young talent
The interest in Mendy demonstrates that the Irons are looking outside their own academy for promising youngsters.
Mohamadou Kante was snapped up from Paris FC last year, and Nuno is said to have been very impressed by what he has seen from the 20-year-old in training.
There is a chance that the Frenchman could get some game time at senior level, either with the Hammers or out on loan.
Read more about the West Ham First Team Squad for 2025/26 here