West Ham Knocked Back in Attempt to Sign Lille Captain Ibrahim Amadou on Loan

Former Ligue 1 champions Lille have rejected a loan offer from West Ham for Ibrahim Amadou, despite the impending threat of relegation.

The Hammers are believed to have offered £2m to take Amadou to the London Stadium for the rest of the season, with a £14m option to buy in the summer.

Leading French publication l'Equipe report that the offer has been rebuffed, with Les Dogues keen to sell Amadou on a permanent deal instead. The French side must raise €25m to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, or face demotion to Ligue 2 as a potential consequence.

Crystal Palace have also made three bids for the 24-year-old during the transfer window, the most recent of which was a loan offer with the option to buy. It is understood though that the Eagles offer fell well short Lille's £17.6m valuation.

News of West Ham's interest comes with David Moyes experiencing somewhat of an injury crisis, with 14 first team players currently unavailable through injury.

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The Hammers are believed to be targeting defensive and midfield reinforcements as they look to stave off the threat of relegation from the Premier League. Moyes has only one signing to show for his efforts so far this January, with midfielder Joao Mario having joined on-loan from Inter last week.

Amadou is a former French Under-19 international, and is currently captain at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. He has made 74 appearances for the club since joining from Nancy in the summer of 2015.