According to L’Equipe, Monaco is expected to sign West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer in the coming hours.
The French sports daily reported on its website on Monday (1 January) that the German international will join the Ligue 1 club, which is owned by Russian oligarch and billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, on loan until the end of the season with a buy-back clause.
He added that French club Nice still has the option to sign the 27-year-old, but Monaco holds “all the cards” as it seeks to complete the deal.
The move makes perfect sense for everyone, as Kehrer wants to play more regular football and is clearly not in David Moyes’ plans this season.
Although West Ham won’t be paid immediately, it will mean that his wages will be off the books and they will be able to make some money if he does well at Monaco.
The German hasn’t had the best of times since arriving at the London Stadium from PSG in 2022, failing to carve out a permanent place for himself in the team.
This season, the defender has racked up 12 appearances but has played just 19 minutes in the Premier League after Vladimir Coufal’s form ruled him out of the game.
It is clear that his position in east London is not going to change any time soon, so it is a smart move to move him on now to make room for a new signing.