Leicester City may hold on to Wout Faes after it was revealed that West Ham United are reconsidering their decision to sign the defender.
It had been expected that the Hammers were set to bring in the Belgian as part of their Championship promotion hopes, with a medical scheduled to take place later today.
Deal Grinds To Halt
However, West Ham United have now since reconsidered their position of signing the 28-year-old, with Sacha Tavolieri reporting that the East London club have put a potential deal ‘on hold’.
While a deal could still go through between now and the deadline at 11pm tonight, it is believed that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are now considering other options to play at centre-back.
Pete O’Rourke has since revealed one of those being considered is Swansea City’s Ben Cabango, who has started in three of the Jacks’ matches so far prior to a short-term injury he picked up against Sheffield United.
A deal for Faes progressed in response to reports from RMC Sport earlier this week, which stated that Jean-Clair Todibo was set to move to Ligue 1 side RC Lens, with the Hammers short of options.
They have already handed 18-year-old Airidas Golambeckis his senior debut this season, with Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos both continuing on from last season as a regular partnership for the club.
Faes has been left out of Leicester’s League One matches this season, with Russell Martin stating that he would not be involved amid the transfer speculation surrounding him and other players.
The Foxes have already moved to sign other central defenders in the final hours of the window, with the Daily Record revealing that Hibernian’s Warren O’Hora will arrive in the East Midlands after agreeing a six-figure fee for the Irishman.
Faes Left In No Man’s Land
After things were seemingly progressing well, Wout Faes’ move to West Ham United has now been put on ice, jeopardising his short-term future and leaving him in an agonising limbo.
Faes of course is a well-experienced Premier League defender, but a string of high-profile mistakes over the past few seasons has seen his reputation take a knock, and that might have come back to bite him with West Ham reconsidering their position.
With the Irons pulling the brakes on this potential swoop, it now remains to be seen what alternatives emerge for Nuno Espirito Santo in the next few hours as they look to strengthen their options ahead of Jean-Clair Todibo’s exit.
Should they pull out, it also leaves Leicester in a tough spot, missing out on the fee they could have received, while also having to scramble and find a new buyer before the deadline shuts.
His former loan club Monaco have also previously shown interest in bringing him back on a second spell, which could give them a crucial out to kick this transfer saga down the road until January.
