Djaoui Cisse in a West Ham shirt
Credit: Tung Manh Phan
Richie Mills
Wed 15 April 2026 14:10, UK
West Ham United appear to be confident of staying in the Premier League as links with Djaoui Cisse are gaining pace.
West Ham spent nearly £50million on transfers in January as the likes of Adama Traore, Taty Castellanos, and Pablo were signed, while Axel Disasi joined on loan.
At the turn of the year, West Ham looked likely to join Burnley and Wolves in the Championship but an upturn in form has taken them out of the relegation zone.
The Hammers will need to sell some of their top assets this summer even if they stay up after posting losses of £104m for the 2024-25 season.
Despite that, speculation is growing that West Ham may move for Rennes midfielder Cisse in the summer, should they beat the drop.
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West Ham may need to sell before they can buy
Even if West Ham stay up, star players such as Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, and Mateus Fernandes may have to be sold to balance the budget.
If Fernandes does leave, for instance, West Ham will need midfield reinforcements for the 2026-27 campaign, and Cisse could be a smart, fairly low-risk purchase.
Cisse’s Rennes career
2023-24 season Two appearances
2024-25 season 16 appearances, one goal
2025-26 season 22 appearances
According to reports on Tuesday, West Ham and Leeds United are preparing offers for the 22-year-old, with Bayer Leverkusen said to be ready to bid £17m for his services.
Cisse is also said to be on the radar of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and even Arsenal, something that may need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
His contract runs until 2030, so Rennes will want to get a decent fee for the box-to-box midfielder.
Djaoui Cisse's season for Rennes
Credit: Imago
The France Under-21 international is very much in the embryonic stages of his senior career but it seems he has caught the attention of a host of Premier League teams.
Huge period ahead for West Ham
West Ham can forget about signing Cisse if they drop into the Championship, however.
And despite being two points clear of the bottom three with six games to go, they still have some tricky fixtures along the way.
Next up, West Ham travel to in-form Crystal Palace before matches against Europe-chasing Everton and Brentford.
West Ham's last season in the Championship
Credit: Breaking Media
Further fixtures against table-topping Arsenal, struggling Newcastle and lowly Leeds United round off the season.
At the moment, Tottenham look destined for the drop but things can change very quickly in this league.