West Ham has been informed by Frank McAvennie that adding two new center backs and a new goalkeeper should be their top recruitment priorities this summer.
The former Hammers player, who has previously criticized Kurt Zouma and Konstantinos Mavropanos, argued that they should be searching for Alphonse Areola and Lukasz Fabianski’s replacements.
He clarified that while he would be aiming to bring in “a new defence,” he wants to see players who will battle for the badge (using Vladimir Coufal as an example).
Speaking just to West Ham Zone, McAvennie stated that Coufal has impressed him and made a suggestion that he ought to be the one to stay at the London Stadium.
“They [Fabianski & Areola] seem to have been there for a while, so perhaps they ought to be searching for one.” My top priorities would probably be a goalie and two center halves. A fresh defense, according to McAvennie.
“I enjoy Coufal.” After being neglected for a while, he returned firing on all cylinders and has been ok ever since. All I want is to find others who fight like that.
West Ham transfer priority emerges at the London Stadium
When asked whether Fabianski had done a good job covering for Areola, McAvennie insisted both should be replaced this summer – despite Areola having been widely praised for his displays in the Premier League this season.
His criticism of the club’s center backs has persisted; most recently, he said that because of their inconsistent play, players like Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen would be “fed up” with having to put in so much extra effort to support the defense.
This season, Zouma and Mavropanos have faced especially intense criticism for their performances, as their careless play has contributed significantly to the mounting dissatisfaction at the London Stadium’s poor outcomes.
With McAvennie’s respect for Coufal on the other side and Emerson Palmieri’s play at left-back, three new middle-field additions ought to be sufficient to bolster David Moyes’ squad and elevate the team.
