English Premier League side West Ham United have stepped up their interest in Nigerian midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi, who is currently on international duty with the Super Eagles at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Hammers have been tracking the SV Zulte Waregem player for several months following a series of impressive performances for the Belgian side.
According to SportsBoom, West Ham officials have already held discussions with Nnadi’s representatives while he was in Nigeria’s AFCON camp in Morocco.
A source close to the player, Nwosu Chigozie, confirmed that representatives of West Ham met with Nnadi during his international duty with Nigeria.
“West Ham’s interest has been there for a while, but it became more serious after he was named in Nigeria’s final AFCON squad,” Chigozie told SportsBoom.
“Club representatives travelled to Morocco to speak with Tochukwu and his agent. They wanted to establish the player’s interest before any formal negotiations between the clubs.”
Nnadi is also attracting interest from across the Premier League, with Brighton, Leeds, Newcastle and Crystal Palace all understood to be monitoring his progress.
Clubs in Germany and Spain are also keeping a close watch on developments, although West Ham are believed to be the most advanced in their pursuit.
The former Flying Eagles player was part of Nigeria’s U-20 team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina.
He made his AFCON debut against Uganda, coming on in Nigeria’s final group match.
The holding midfielder only joined Zulte Waregem from Bulgarian side Botev Plovdiv in January 2024 but has quickly emerged as one of Europe’s most sought-after young players in his position.
Nnadi could be the first piece in West Ham’s squad rebuild, with star man Lucas Paquetá having informed the club of his desire to leave, as he seeks a return to Brazil.
