Fulham and West Ham Rivalling Serie A Clubs for Lille Full-Back Kevin Malcuit
Premier League clubs Fulham and West Ham are battling alongside Serie A giants Inter and Napoli for the signature of Lille full-back Kevin Malcuit.
The 26-year-old had an impressive year for the Ligue 1 side last year, making six assists in 23 games, a total bettered only by PSG's Dani Alves and Monaco's Djibril Sidibe, who both registered seven set-ups for goals.
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And according to France Football, London duo Fulham and West Ham have both expressed a desire to sign the Frenchman who only signed for Lille twelve months ago.
The Cottagers are looking for a replacement for Ryan Fredericks, who moved across London to the West Ham on a free transfers, while one of the Hammers' back-up options for Fredericks - Sam Byram - looks set to move to Nottingham Forest.
The right-back has been linked with a move to Inter in the past, but I Nerazzuri are reportedly close to completing a deal for Atletico Madrid's Sime Vrsaljko, which could mean that Malcuit would no longer be targeted.
Napoli are also in the hunt for a right-back, having released veteran defender Christian Maggio on a free transfer earlier this summer, so could also make a move for the right-back in the coming weeks.
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Malcuit started his career at Monaco in 2010, before dropping down the divisions to the third tier of French football, playing for Vannes (on loan) before joining Frejus Saint-Raphael on a permanent deal.
The defender then rose back through the French footballing hierarchy, joining Ligue 2's Chamois Niortais in 2013, before making a big career move to Saint-Etienne in the country's top-flight. He played for Les Verts in the Europa League last season against Manchester United, before moving to Lille last summer for £8m.
