West Ham Loss Could Be Leeds’ Gain In Chase For Ligue 1 Defender

West Ham’s decision not to sign central defender Arouna Sangante in the final week of the transfer window could open the door for a summer move to Leeds. 

Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo was eager to sign a new centre-back before Monday’s deadline and was offered the Senegalese international.

However, he opted against bringing in the Le Havre player and instead gave the green light for the club to sign Axel Disasi.

According to TeamTalk, Nuno wanted to sign a player with Premier League experience to help with their survival bid.

Nuno’s side are six points adrift of safety and are 2/5 third favourites in the Premier League relegation betting market.

If West Ham are relegated, a clause in Nuno’s contract means they can sack him without paying off the entirety of his three-year deal.

Leeds Set To Profit In Arouna Sangante Chase

The report adds that Nuno’s decision to turn down Sangante will play into the hands of Leeds, who are also keen admirers of his talents.

Sangante, 23, has impressed in Ligue 1, and his quality and leadership skills have already made him captain of the club.

Le Havre sit in 15th but have the joint-best defensive record outside of the top nine in the league.

Sangante has been on the radar of numerous Premier League clubs, including Brighton and Brentford, while several clubs across Europe have also taken note of his potential.

Any likelihood of Leeds signing the talent will hinge on whether they can secure their place in the Premier League this season before turning attentions towards building a squad that consolidates their top-flight status.

Boss Daniel Farke’s side are six points clear of West Ham, but a 4-0 defeat at home to Arsenal in their last outing was a stark reminder of the gulf in class.

Farke’s job will be safe until at least the summer, but the markets have already opened on the betting for the next Leeds manager. 

Who Is Arouna Sangante?

Sangante was born in Dakar but moved to France as a teenager, where he developed at Paris-based clubs Cosmos Saint-Denis and Red Star before joining the Le Havre youth academy in 2017.

His stock has continued to rise at the club and he played a key part of the squad that secured promotion to Ligue 1 after winning the Ligue 2 title in the 2022/2023 season.

He looks destined to leave the club this summer when his contract expires, and is likely to have numerous options available to him.

Sangante almost joined Danish side FC Midtylland with the deal reaching an advanced stage in mid-2025, but the transfer ultimately fell through.