West Ham eyeing move for Stephy Mavididi

The January transfer window slams shut in less than a week, and many clubs will be attempting to finalise deals before deadline day. West Ham United are still yet to do any business this month, which has caused fans to feel nervous and frustrated as time runs out.

One late name that has been added to the list of potential transfer is Montpellier forward Stephy Mavididi.

The 23-year-old, who has played international football for England U20, has scored 15 goals in 53 games for Montpellier, netting six times this season. There is a possibility that Mavididi may relish a return to England to prove himself in the Premier League.

West Ham hold an interest in Montpellier’s English attacker Stephy Mavididi.

Mavididi was born in Derby to Congolese parents. He joined Arsenal at the age of 13 and turned professional in 2015. He had loan spells in the EFL, joining Charlton Athletic twice and playing briefly for Preston North End. He left Arsenal in 2018 to join Juventus‘ U23 team after Giorgio Chiellini’s brother scouted him, and he trained with many members of the first team.

Ligue 1 side Dijon signed Mavididi on loan for the 2019-20 season thanks to a recommendation from legendary Arsenal striker Thierry Henry. Mavididi scored six goals in 32 games during the loan spell. He seemed to impress for Dijon, but he decided not to sign permanently after a fall-out with the board. Instead, he signed a contract with Montpellier in June 2020.

We know that West Ham are closely scouting many players in Ligue 1 as reported previously, so Mavididi is another name to add to the long list of possible targets based in France alongside Marseille duo Boubacar Kamara and Duje Caleta-Car.

He has slowly found his form and has become popular with the Montpellier fans since he arrived in Southern France. Mavididi generally plays as a left-winger or a second striker. He plays in a similar 4-2-3-1 system that West Ham manager David Moyes deploys. He is a young and hungry player who also offers versatility in the attacking third, something Moyes is keen on.

Mavididi is in high demand with Newcastle and Aston Villa keeping tabs on him. Making the move from two of Europe’s most prestigious clubs academies to lesser-known teams has allowed him to grow with less pressure and lower expectations. He has seen the rewards of getting regular game time at a young age. But now is perhaps the time for the Mavididi to head back into the spotlight at West Ham.