West Ham are keen to bolster their defensive options this summer but will face a fight to land one of their prime targets, it has been reported.
The Hammers were heavily linked with St Etienne defender Kevin Malcuit in January, seeing two bids of £6.5m and £8.5m rejected by the Ligue 1 side, and Slaven Bilic’s side will revive their interest this summer.
However, FranceFootball reports newly-promoted Newcastle United are also keen on the defender and the Hammers now face a battle to seal a deal.
The 25-year-old full-back has impressed in the Europa League this season, where St Etienne were eventually knocked out by Manchester United, and he’s seen as a significant upgrade to West Ham’s defender.
Bilic has utilised the likes of Sam Byram, Alvaro Arbeloa, Michail Antonio and Cheikhou Kouyate at right-back this season but want a player who can fill the role on a more regular basis.
