According to Fabrizio Romano, West Ham and Monaco are now finalizing an agreement that will see Thilo Kehrer depart the team on an initial loan move.
On January 2, the transfer specialist revealed on Twitter that the German is expected to join the Ligue 1 team for a loan payment of €500,000 (£434,000). If certain goals are met, an obligatory buy option may be triggered, and the deal might become permanent.
Under David Moyes, the 27-year-old has slipped in the hierarchy, and it appears that his days at the team are numbered—a few things need to be ironed out before the deal is finalized.
“AS Monaco and West Ham are finalizing deal for Thilo Kehrer,” Romano said. In the event of certain targets, a buy-options clause will be obligatory in the loan agreement.
“Remember, AS Monaco will cover the €500k loan payment. To complete and close the deal as soon as possible, some aspects still need to be worked out.
Kehrer’s status at West Ham has already drastically declined, as he has made just four Premier League appearances this season, compared to 27 last season.
It appeared as though he was almost certain to go, so it would come as no surprise if he didn’t make it back from France in the summer. If his time with West Ham ends now, it will have been a year and a half and fifty appearances across all competitions in East London.
His adaptability has been helpful to Moyes since he arrived during a defensive injury crisis at the beginning of the previous season, but it has also maybe worked against him because he has never established himself at any one position.
It is not surprising that he would be interested in looking for more playing time abroad given the amount of interest from the continent and the limited possibilities he has with the Hammers outside of cup tournaments.
In the upcoming weeks, Moyes and Tim Steidten will probably require a replacement to ensure they are not left without a player during what might be an exciting window in January.
