West Ham and Crystal Palace head into transfer race for Super Eagles defender

KAA Gent and Super Eagles defender, Jordan Torunarigha, is garnering interest from several clubs across Europe, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 26-year-old left-footed centre-half has spent the last two seasons in Belgium after initially joining on loan from Hertha Berlin, who now play in the second division of the German Bundesliga.

As per Tutto Mercato Web, Italian Serie A side – Monza, are keen on the services of the Germany-born Nigerian, but they face stiff interest from two London-based clubs, West Ham United and Crystal Palace. Leeds United were also reported to be keen on Jordan, but failure to get promoted to the English Premier League ruined any chances of signing the defender.

According to the  West Ham way, The Hammers are very keen to bolster their central defensive options this summer with Julen Lopetegui keen to upgrade on either Kurt Zouma or Nayef Aguerd.

Nayef Aguerd would be the defender that’s most likely to leave, with clubs like Rennes and Atletico Madrid picking interest in the Moroccan centre-back.

Should Aguerd leave, Torunarigha would be a direct replacement as he’s also left-footed, and would slot in right beside Kurt Zouma in the heart of West Ham’s defence.

Torunhariga is well-known for his ball-playing abilities, which is a key trait the new West Ham manager likes in his players.

The 1.96m tall defender’s contract expires next summer, and it is reported that Gent are willing to allow Nigerian depart for a fee of around €5m.