**West Ham have made an enquiry within “the last 48 hours” for Al-Ittihad midfielder N’Golo Kante, according to journalist Ben Jacobs**
While the Hammers seem to be interested in the 34-year-old, Jacobs claims that he is more likely to move to Turkey:
“Kante wants the move. Fenerbahce are the frontrunners, even though I’m told West Ham also made another enquiry in the last 48 hours, but Fenerbahce are leading the race.”
“They’re confident that they’ve got the buy-in from the player, but they’ve still got some work to do with Al Ittihad.”
Kante would have added energy in midfield
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While the two-time Premier League winner is not at the same level as he was when he left Chelsea in the summer of 2023, he would have strengthened Nuno’s options in the middle of the park.
The Irons have been trying to offload Guido Rodriguez, and Kante would have been a major upgrade on the Argentinian international, even at the age of 34.
West Ham may need to sign more than one midfielder
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The future of Lucas Paqueta is still very much up in the air. There are conflicting [**reports**](https://hammersheadlines.com/west-ham-transfer-news-lucas-paqueta-9/) on whether the Brazilian will be allowed to leave the London Stadium this month.
While the player himself is pushing for a return to Flamengo, there has been no breakthrough in talks. His departure would further damage the club’s chances of staying in the Premier League.
A lot could hinge on whether Paqueta forces through a move. He did not play against QPR in the FA Cup last weekend due to a back problem, but some have suggested he may be refusing to play. Speaking about the 28-year-old and whether he is ready to face Tottenham this weekend, Nuno said:
“Is he in the right mindset to play for West Ham again? He needs to be. He needs to be. He needs to be. He needs to be. He needs to be. You have to understand that many things happened with Lucas.”
If Paqueta does depart over the coming days, the club will need to go into the market for a no.10 in addition to a holding midfielder.
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