West Ham have made their approach to French Ligue 1 side Lorient to enquire about the possible signing of defender Lamine Kone.
With the troubled Hammers having struggled through a turbulent Premier League campaign of inconsistent performances, player injuries, hefty defeats and dressing-room bust-ups, manager Sam Allardyce is addressing their problems and top of his priority list is making squad reinforcements for the start of next season.
An imminent requirement is to strengthen the back four and one player that might just fit the bill is 25-year-old Kone.
A strong right-footed defender, Kone, who is of Ivorian descent, can play at centre-back or right back and is said to be a ‘Sam Allardyce-type player.’
Kone joined Lorient in 2010 from French second division side Chateauroux and is valued in the region of £2M.
He is contracted to the Ligue 1 side until 2017 but may be headed for Upton Park should both parties come to an agreement a transfer deal.
This is not the first time the Frenchman has been linked with a move to the Premier League. Just six months ago he was under the radar of Sunderland, however nothing came of the discussions.