After bringing in Kalvin Phillips on loan from Manchester City, West Ham United is nearing the end of the January transfer window, but David Moyes is not quite done yet.
The Hammers are working hard to close deals on several fronts before the market closes this evening. While most of the talk has been on the attacking ranks, there are rumors that the Irons are closing on an intriguing defensive possibility as well.
Whom West Ham could sign in the present day
Given that Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals are both expected to leave the London Stadium today, Moyes has been looking for fresh attacking options, including teenage sensation Ibrahim Osman and Jota of Al-Ittihad.
Football Insider has reported that Le Havre central defender Arouna Sangante is nearing a loan move to east London, with advanced talks to bring the 21-year-old in before the deadline. The team is eager to bolster in other areas as well.
It is suggested that the Hammers are getting close to a deal, with talks reportedly at a “advanced stage.”
How Arouna Sangante plays
Hailed as a “star” by reporter Pete O’Rourke, Sangante has performed admirably for Le Havre this season and would be a wise addition to West Ham’s defense, particularly given the late date of the transaction.
Sangante, a summer acquisition from Stuttgart that cost £19 million, could show to be an immediate improvement over Konstantinos Mavropanos, a player who has only started six Premier League games thus far.
A creative and strong defender, Sangante stands five feet eleven inches tall and is among the top 4% of center halves in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for interceptions per ninety, according to FBref. These qualities are appealing to a Hammers team that depends on quick transitions to advance.
In contrast, Mavropanos provides a contemporary and advanced skill set, but he only rates in the top 37% of defenders for shots created per 90. To his credit, he also places in the top 13% for progressive carries, the top 3% for interceptions, and the top 15% for won aerial duels per 90.
Sangante, who leads Le Club Doyen despite his youth, has made 16 starts in Ligue 1 this year, completing 84% of his passes. According to Sofascore, he averages 0.6 crucial passes, 2.5 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 5.2 ball recoveries, 2.9 clearances, and 4.8 successful duels per game.
In the English top tier, Mavropanos has only completed 76% of his passes. Although he tries to be creative with his distribution, his success rate of 0.1 critical passes per game is concerning.
The 24-cap Greece international also averages 1.0 tackles, 3.1 recoveries, 4.0 clearances, and 1.3 interceptions per game, meaning Sangante might match or perhaps exceed the 26-year-old’s defensive prowess under Moyes’ tutelage.
Moyes has to pull this off; the campaign’s business end is offering lucrative promises while also demanding strong backing to assist the Scotsman achieve his goals.
