West Ham lead the Premier League race to sign Nigerian anchorman Tochukwu Nnadi

ENGLISH Premier League side West Ham have joined the race to sign Nigerian anchorman Tochukwu Nnadi from Belgian club Zulte Waregem during the forthcoming January transfer window.

Sitting in 18th place in the league table, and firmly stuck in the relegation zone, West Ham are desperate to bring in some fresh faces in January to get them out of their current predicament.  Nnadi, 22, is a dynamic ball-winning midfielder, who the Hammers consider handy, given his capacity to retain ball possession, with coach Nuno Espirito Santo believing he can help them avoid relegation.

According to online sports portal Teamtalk, the London club now believes it has identified the right profile for its midfield. It says the club is prepared to offer the Super Eagles prospect a five-year contract, as it believes his skills are essential for bolstering the midfield to avoid relegation.

West Ham is said to value the Nigerian's tireless and ball-winning ability highly, which has sparked their interest in the young player. A fee of around €4m (£3.5m) is believed to be sufficient to finalise the deal, making it an attractive option for the London club given the relatively low cost.

However, the Hammers may face competition for Nnadi, who joined his current club in 2024 after three years at Bulgarian outfit Botev Plovdiv. Although West Ham is reportedly leading the pursuit, four other Premier League clubs are said to be closely monitoring the situation, which could lead to a bidding war.

Brighton & Hove Albion has sent scouts to evaluate Nnadi, while Leeds United is also interested in the defensive midfielder. Also, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are keeping an eye on the developments, which means West Ham must act quickly if they want to secure the highly-rated prospect.