West Ham ‘preparing transfer offer’ for Arsenal target who plays like Carlos Baleba

West Ham are reportedly preparing an offer to sign an Arsenal transfer target likened to Brighton star Carlos Baleba, and he could leave for just £17m.

West Ham make transfer plans amid relegation battle

Six games remain and West Ham sit 17th, two points above the drop zone with one of the most turbulent seasons in recent memory drawing towards a conclusion.

Two managers, a near-catastrophic collapse in the first half of the campaign and a near-miraculous recovery under Nuno Espírito Santo have defined 2025/26 at the London Stadium.

The 4-0 win over already-relegated Wolves on April 10 pushed Tottenham back into the bottom three and gave Nuno’s side a deserved two-point cushion, but with Arsenal, Brentford and a potentially decisive final-day meeting with Leeds still to come, nothing is settled.

The Opta Supercomputer gives West Ham a 39.3 per cent chance of going down, significant enough to make every result between now and May feel like a genuine six-pointer.

The numbers required to stay up appear to be around 40 points, leaving Nuno needing eight more from what remains.

Crystal Palace away is next up, then Everton at home, before the run tightens considerably.

For a club that spent 29 of 32 match weeks inside the relegation zone at one stage this season, even reaching this juncture with their fate in their own hands represents a relative achievement.

What makes the situation stranger is that planning for next season is already under way regardless.

The permanent signing of loanee Axel Disasi, who has performed reliably since arriving in February, is under consideration, contingent on survival.

It is also reported that West Ham are frontrunners to sign Disasi permanently after his solid loan spell, despite competition from Aston Villa and Fulham.

And now a fresh name has entered the frame, one that speaks to ambition.

West Ham preparing bid for Rennes sensation Djaoui Cisse

According to Africa Foot, West Ham are among the clubs ‘preparing transfer offers’ for Djaoui Cissé, the Rennes midfielder who has attracted considerable attention across Europe this season.

Leeds are also working on a proposal, while Aston Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle are monitoring his situation too.

The competition from Germany is pretty big, though.

Bayer Leverkusen have also submitted a bid and are reported to be in pole position for the 22-year-old, with Cissé’s camp said to be attracted to the prospect of joining them.

That environment clearly holds appeal for a player whose contract runs until 2030 and who carries strong ambition, and he is understood to prioritise playing time and a project built around young talent.

Cissé is a box-to-box midfielder with the kind of profile that modern clubs across Europe covet: 6 ft 2, technically capable, physically imposing and productive in ball recovery.

He has represented France at U21 level, scoring at last summer’s European Championship, and holds dual French-Malian nationality.

Across 22 appearances in all competitions this season, he has clocked close to 1,000 minutes of football in Ligue 1, and Africa Foot state that Rennes value him up to £17 million.

He’s also been likened to Brighton star Carlos Baleba by scouts and called a ‘dominant’ midfield player already.

Whether West Ham can realistically compete for a player of this profile while fighting relegation is a question that answers itself partially — if they go down, any deal for a player with European ambitions becomes extremely difficult to close.

But the rumour that they are working on an offer at all reflects the planning being done at the club for a scenario in which they stay up, rebuild, and look to move in a different direction from the season they have just endured.