In a recent report, The Sun mentioned that West Ham United could face competition from Liverpool for Bayer 04 Leverkusen ace Odilon Kossounou in the January transfer window. It is understood that the Hammers will have to rival the Reds if they decide to go back for the Ivory Coast centre-back this winter.
Kossounou’s Impressive Run Of Form In Bundesliga Last Season
Kossounou had a solid campaign at the German club recently as he was responsible for producing a series of impressive displays at the centre of their defence. The Ivory Coast talent participated in 35 matches for Leverkusen last season, securing one assist across multiple competitions.
The 22-year-old was a rock at the back and deserves credit for averaging 0.9 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game in the Bundesliga. He was even accurate when distributing possession from inside his half after completing 82.8% of his attempted passes in the German top flight (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the German club will expire in the summer of 2026. Hence, it won’t be easy for West Ham to get a deal done for him on the cheap in the winter transfer period.
West Ham United Could Face Competition From Liverpool For Kossounou: Is He Worth The Fight?
Kossounou can get stuck in with a few crunching tackles to make life difficult for the opposition attackers. He can sense the danger quickly and can make some timely interceptions for his team on the defensive third of the pitch. Kossounou usually functions as a central defender but can also fill in as a right-back if told to do so.
The Ivory Coast talent usually puts his foot through the ball when required and is also proficient at playing his way out from the back.
Koussounou will inject more bite and steel into West Ham head coach David Moyes’ defensive department. He might even help the Hammers push for a European spot in the Premier League next year. Thus, Koussounou would be well worth the fight, so Moyes should focus on going back in with another bid for him this January.
At 22, the future looks quite bright for Koussounou. He would be a terrific acquisition for the East London club in the long run.
