West Ham keen on 22-year-old French midfielder – Face European competition, could come down to personal preference

Only signing for Strasbourg last summer from RC Lens for £1.8m, it didn’t take long for Jean-Ricner Bellegarde to catch the eye of European clubs.

After just one season in Ligue 1, the 22-year-old is wanted by two clubs, according to Foot Mercato, among which are West Ham.

The Hammers, who avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, will want to bolster their squad to avoid a repeat of the 2019-20 campaign, and midfield is an area of need.

Linked with players such as Nahitan Nández, West Ham are also looking in France, a favourite hunting ground of theirs, where they will face some competition for the midfielder from Fiorentina.

Capable of playing in multiple positions, there is certainly a lot to like about Bellegarde, and as Foot Mercato point out, we now have to wait and see to find out who will make the first move.

Neither Fiorentina or West Ham have European football to offer, so there’s no real advantage either way, so it could all come down to the player’s personal preference in terms of league.

Either that, or it just becomes a purely financial matter.