Premier League club make offer to sign Euro 2024 breakout star Georges Mikautadze: Reports
West Ham United have allegedly tabled an offer to sign Georgia and Metz forward Georges Mikautadze, who is currently leading the goalscoring charts at the UEFA Euro 2024.
Mikautadze, 24, is relishing a stellar start to his Euro 2024 campaign, netting three goals in three Group F matches. He particularly impressed in Georgia's 2-0 victory over Portugal as he assisted Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's opener and scored from the penalty spot later on.
Now, according to French sports outlet Le10Sport, West Ham have placed an offer to add the striker to their squad in the summer transfer window. The Hammers' bid is said to be much higher than Metz's asking price of around £17 million. However, they are set to face tough competition from French clubs AS Monaco and RC Lens this summer.
Mikautadze, who is an ex-Lyon youth player, relished a fine season for Metz in the 2023-24 campaign. He bagged 14 goals and registered four assists in 22 matches across competitions for Metz, who got relegated to the Ligue 2 despite the striker's notable performances.
Should the Georgian opt to move to Julen Lopetegui's side this summer, he would emerge as a vital starter for them. He would push Michail Antonio and Danny Ings further down the Hammers' pecking order.
Georgia star reveals what Portugal captain told him ahead of latest Euro 2024 triumph
Earlier this Wednesday (June 26), Georgia booked a spot in the Euro 2024 last-16 stage after registering a 2-0 Group F win over Portugal.
After his national side's recent win, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia expressed his delight of reaching the Euro 2024 knockouts. He said (h/t GOAL):
"I got [Cristiano] Ronaldo's jersey and we've made it through to the next round. This is the best day in the lives of Georgian football fans. We've made history, no one would believe we'd make it happen. No one would believe we could beat Portugal but that's why we're a strong team... if there's even a 1% chance, we've shown we can make it happen."
Opening up on his chat with Cristiano Ronaldo, the Napoli ace added:
"Before the match, he wished me success. I'd never imagine he would come and talk to me. He's a great player and a great person. That's why he's a great personality in and out of football; I have so much respect for him, he's one of the best players in the world. When he comes to talk to you before the match, that's amazing; that helped us believe we could do something today."
Georgia, who are currently ranked 74th in the world, will next take on Spain in their Euro 2024 last-16 encounter this Sunday (June 30).