Why West Ham are so keen to tie Mohamadou Kante down to a new deal New York Times (Online) Roshane Thomas Mohamadou Kante's stock is growing at such a rate that West Ham United have made preparations to ward off interest from potential suitors. The 21-year-old, who joined from Paris FC for ￡400,000 ($529,000) in August 2024, is enjoying a breakout season. The midfielder has scored three goals and registered two assists across 13 appearances this season. He was the provider for Divine Mukasa's decisive goal in the 1-0 win over league leaders Swansea City at the weekend. Sources speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships say that, as recognition of his form and standing in the squad, West Ham are in negotiations with Kante over an improved contract, with talks at an early stage. The Athletic reported last month that the Championship club had intended to offer Kante a more lucrative deal . The midfielder's existing contract, which he signed in October, expires in 2031. Following West Ham's relegation from the Premier League, clubs in Ligue 1 made enquiries about Kante's availability but the east London side rebuffed all approaches. Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has no intention of losing the talented youngster, who has emerged as a key player following the summer departures of fellow midfielders Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham Hotspur, James Ward-Prowse to Southampton and Freddie Potts to Belgian side Club Brugge. “I'm really happy to be in this team,” Kante told West Ham's official website in August. “We're playing well and connecting, so I hope it can continue. I know some of the guys from the under-21s, and it's great that we're in the first team together. I'm feeling good at this level, and I want to keep improving and building.” The midfielder is happy at West Ham and appreciative of Nuno giving him an extended run in the team. Six of Kante's 10 league appearances this season have been starts. Although he is naturally a box-to-box midfielder, the head coach has utilised him in advanced positions. Kante played as a No 10 against Swansea and in the 3-2 away win at Bolton Wanderers. In the 2-2 draw against Millwall, he played further up the field when he was brought on at half-time, scoring West Ham's first goal as they came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2. He operated as a left winger in the first-round Carabao Cup win against Portsmouth and assisted forward Taty Castellanos. In central midfield, Kante has played alongside summer signing Arne Engels and Lewis Orford. Kante and Orford started the first two league games against Burnley and London rivals Charlton Athletic. But since the 1-1 draw against Watford, Engels and Mukasa have been Nuno's preferred midfield pairing. Kante's versatility has been a boost and at international level, this has proved appealing for France, Mali and Senegal. The midfielder was born in Paris and is eligible to represent Mali and Senegal through his parents, who passed away when he was younger. Last month, he was named in France Under-21s' extended squad for their European Championship qualifiers against Iceland, Estonia, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Mali and Senegal have made approaches about Kante representing them, but the midfielder intends to discuss his international future with family before deciding. Kante's former coaches at amateur side Jeunesse Aubervilliers , and West Ham Under-21s lead coach Mark Robson , have likened his playing style to former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira. It is a huge compliment and, while age is on Kante's side to live up to that billing, in the short term it is ex-West Ham midfielders Mo Diame and Cheikhou Kouyate whose energy and work ethic he mirrors. Diame is widely remembered for displaying those traits during his two-year spell from 2012-14, where he scored seven goals in 71 appearances. Kouyate, who was also compared to Vieira , had a better goalscoring record than Diame, with 12 goals scored in 129 league appearances. Similar to Kante's sending off against Millwall, Kouyate was sent off for denying Blackburn defender Adam Henley a goalscoring opportunity in an FA Cup game in 2016, which was later overturned on appeal. Kante's dismissal, the first in his professional career, was less controversial but proved endearing to the fanbase given the opponent. RED CARD 🟥 West Ham are down to ten men, after Kante was sent off for denial of a goalscoring opportunity. pic.twitter.com/jRlVwLNiOs — ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 19, 2026 “I try to work hard and show what I can bring to the team,” the midfielder told West Ham's official website earlier this month . “If the coach has confidence in me, I'm happy and I'll work hard every day and in every match to try to earn a spot. It was a very difficult moment for the team (my red card against Millwall), but we managed to get a draw. It wasn't the goal but we picked up a point and that's what matters. I felt bad for the team about the red card incident, and I hope to move forward from it.” Post-match, Nuno backed Kante to learn from the experience. Despite being suspended for the 1-1 home draw against Queens Park Rangers, Kante still attended to cheer on his team-mates. In time, the midfielder hopes to become a better English speaker to communicate more easily with his peers. Kante is taking English lessons and often communicates with a French-speaking member of Nuno's backroom staff. But on the pitch, Kante has shown he is already fluent at making an impact.