In a recent report, The Sun mentioned that West Ham United are eyeing a move for Bayer 04 Leverkusen defender Odilon Kossounou this summer. It has been stated that the Hammers are hoping to land the Ivory Coast centre-half in this ongoing transfer window.
Kossounou’s Impressive Form In German Football Last Season
Kossounou enjoyed a good run of form for the German club last season when he put in a run of solid displays on the defensive third of the pitch. The Abidjan-born talent made 35 appearances for his current club in the previous campaign, picking up one assist across all fronts.
The 22-year-old was a dominant presence when defending inside his half as he averaged 0.9 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game in Bundesliga. He has even been accurate when distributing possession from the back after making 82.8% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at Leverkusen will run out in the summer of 2026. Hence, it won’t be easy for West Ham to arrange a cut-price move for him this month.
Is Kossounou The Right Fit For West Ham United?
Kossounou is a solid tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his team inside his half. He usually puts his foot through the ball when in danger of being caught out at the back.
The Ivory Coast sensation can even use his strong 1.91m frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air as well. Kossounou is even proficient at playing his way out from inside his half but only time will tell whether he can make a smooth transition to life in England.
We can expect Kossounou to add more bite and steel to West Ham‘s defence. He might even help the Hammers compete for a top-half finish in the Premier League this season.
Hence, Kossounou would be a great fit for David Moyes’ needs at the East London club right now as he is good enough to earn a regular starting spot at the London Stadium in the coming years.
At 22, Kossounou has got a bright future ahead of him, so Moyes would be wise to go all out to bring him to the English capital this summer.
