West Ham are poised to send Wolves an improved offer for centre-back Max Kilman as the London club’s transfer pursuit of the defender moves up a gear.
The 27-year-old has emerged as a transfer priority for the Hammers this summer as new boss Julen Lopetegui prepares for his first season in the hot seat. Adding youth to an ageing back line is a must and the Spaniard appears keen to be reunited with Kilman.
West Ham have seen Angelo Ogbonna leave at the end of his contract and Nayef Aguerd is also being linked with a move away. Kilman could be seen as the ideal partner for Konstantinos Mavropanos at the centre of defence under Lopetegui.
GIVEMESPORT reports that West Ham will ‘step up their interest’ in Kilman this week as the Premier League season edges ever closer. The defender still has four years left on his deal at Molineux but the Midlands club are said to be ready to accept a £45 million offer for his services.
Whether West Ham are already prepared to launch a bid that high remains to be seen but one person urging the Hammers to ensure the business gets over the line is club legend Carlton Cole.
The former striker, who made 293 appearances for the club, told Gambling.com: “Kilman is a player. I’ve seen him and thought ‘this guy is a player’. I think that’s the type of player that West Ham will go for. They aren’t going to be picky right now with no European football, and I think Kilman has got experience in the Premier League and he will be a good addition to the squad.
“There are inevitably going to be some departures as well, so we need to recruit in the right way – that means getting in the right players at the right price, so that will need to be the case with Kilman.”
