Monaco are set to sign West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer on loan “in the coming hours”, according to L’Equipe.
The French sports newspaper reported on its website on Monday (1 January) that the German international will join the Ligue 1 club, who are owned by Russian oligarch and billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, on loan until the end of the season with an option-to-buy clause included.
It added that fellow French side Nice still has a chance of signing the 27-year-old, but Monaco “has all the cards” as they look to finalise the deal.
Makes sense
This is a move that makes complete sense for everyone as Kehrer wants to play more regular football and he clearly isn’t in David Moyes’ plans this season.
Although West Ham won’t receive a fee immediately, it will mean his wages are off the books and they could earn some money down the line if he does well with Monaco.
The German hasn’t had the best of times since arriving at the London Stadium from PSG in 2022, having failed to nail down a regular place in the side.
The defender has made 12 appearances this season, but he has only played 19 minutes in the Premier League after being kept out of the side by the form of Vladimir Coufal.
It’s pretty clear that his situation isn’t going to change any time soon in East London, so moving him on now to potentially free up space for a new arrival is a smart move.
