West Ham United offered to sign Rennes midfielder Djaoui Cisse during the summer transfer window, according to French outlet Le10Sport.

West Ham and Inter Milan were both keen on the 21-year-old, with the former offering a €25 million package to bring him to the London Stadium.

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However, Rennes knocked back their bid as they want to build the team around Cisse and hold on to him for as long as possible.

West Ham added El Hadji Malick Diouf, Kyle Walker-Peters, Callum Wilson, Mads Hermansen, Mateus Fernandes, Soungoutou Magassa and Igor Julio to their squad during the summer transfer window.

Lukasz Fabianski also returned to the club as a free agent, but the Hammers have started 2025-26 on a woeful note.

They have lost four of their opening five Premier League games, and manager Graham Potter is under considerable pressure.

Signing Cisse would not have likely changed their fortune, but the Frenchman could have proven to be a valuable addition to their midfield.

West Ham are currently struggling in the position, which has affected them at both ends of the pitch.

The Rennes academy graduate was one of the best players at the European Under-21 Championship, helping France reach the semi-finals.

Cisse loves to dribble and regularly attempts to score from a distance, and West Ham could do with such a player in the middle of the park.

He has helped Rennes to two wins and two draws in five Ligue 1 games this season, and a move to the Premier League in the not-too-distant future could appeal to him.