West Ham United eyes Thérence Koudou of KV Mechelen

KV Mechelen defender Thérence Koudou is on the radar of West Ham United. The English club wants to sign him, but KV Mechelen wants to keep him. Koudou made the move to KV Mechelen in the summer of 2025 and quickly became a key player for the team. He played a strong year with the Maneblussers, who reached the Champions Play-Offs for the first time in their history. In that end-round, Mechelen however could not secure a European ticket and ended as the only team from the top six without European football.

Why is West Ham United interested in Koudou?

West Ham United is undergoing a major rebuild. The London club was relegated from the Premier League last season after a difficult year in which both Graham Potter and Nuno Espírito Santo were unable to keep the team out of the relegation zone. With Nils Koppen as the new Head of Recruitment, West Ham wants to rebuild the team and look for direct promotion.

What is the situation around Koudou?

Koudou has already had an impressive career path. He trained at Stade de Reims, where he made his debut in the Ligue 1 in 2023. Under trainer Will Still, he played against Olympique Marseille. He then gained experience at Pau FC, where he quickly developed into a regular player in the French second division. After his period at Pau FC, Koudou returned briefly to Reims, but in the summer of 2024 he chose again for an adventure with the French second-division club. Despite interest from FC Basel and Troyes, he decided to stay at Pau, where he could continue to grow. A year later, he made the move to KV Mechelen, where he signed a contract until 2029.

What happens now?

For now, there is no official bid on Koudou. KV Mechelen wants to keep the young Frenchman, but this foreign interest confirms that his strong debut season in Belgium was not overlooked. The Frenchman currently plays for KV Mechelen, which plays in the Jupiler Pro League. The team is currently in 6th place in the final standings of the previous season, with 24 points from 32 games. They have scored 40 goals and conceded 39, with a goal difference of +1. They are 15 points behind the leaders, Union St. Gilloise. Their next game is against Anderlecht on February 13, 2027.