LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 27: A general view inside the stadium as Neal Maupay of Brighton & Hove Albion scores their team's first goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion at London Stadium on December 27, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
West Ham United and new manager Julen Lopetegui are thought to be interested in signing an established Premier League player valued at £20m.
West Ham targeting defensive additions
The Irons and technical director Tim Steidten have already made two summer signings ahead of the 2024/25 season, with winger Luis Guilherme joining from Palmeiras and more recently, goalkeeper Wes Foderingham arriving on a free transfer after he left Sheffield United.
Now, attention is on further signings, both in attack and defence. In the final third, former Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, now at Galatasaray, Fluminense forward Jhon Arias, Lille striker Jonathan David, Genoa forward Albert Gudmundsson, FC Metz’s Georges Mikautadze and Vitoria Guimaraes star Jota Silva have all been linked with moves to London.
Meanwhile, at the back, Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Max Kilman is a player who is firmly on the Hammers’ radar. West Ham have already had an offer turned down from Wolves but are expected to make a new bid, with Lopetegui even willing to make him captain should a deal get over the line.
Full-backs are also seemingly wanted by Lopetegui, with former Tottenham left-back Ryan Sessegnon, Fenerbahce’s Jayden Oosterwolde and Lazio’s Luca Pellegrini all of interest to varying degrees, and a right-back who West Ham supporters will know is now on the club’s radar.
West Ham interested in Aaron Wan-Bissaka
According to reliable Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, West Ham are interested in signing Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, although he adds that the Englishman is just one of a number of right-backs being tracked by the Irons.
Wan-Bissaka has been on the books at Old Trafford since 2019 after joining from Crystal Palace and has gone on to make 190 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring twice and providing 13 assists.
The 26-year-old has won the EFL Cup and more recently the FA Cup with United under Erik ten Hag, but there have been reports that new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ready to cash in on Wan-Bissaka for just £20m this summer.
That sort of fee could be tempting for the Red Devils due to the player’s contract situation, and Wan-Bissaka is a player who has come in for plenty of praise when it comes to his 1 v 1 defending. James Maddison is one of those who has hailed the right-back, saying:
“AWB is ridiculously good at 1 v 1 defending. Probably the best in the world bar none. So many wingers run out of ideas when playing directly against him.”
Jamie Carragher also thinks Wan-Bissaka is the best in the world when it comes to one-on-one defending, saying back in 2020 when coming up against Raheem Sterling.
“Sterling is one of the best three or four wide players in the world but Wan-Bissaka’s saying: ‘Come on, you’re not going to get past me’. I actually think Wan-Bissaka is the best one-on-one defender for a full-back in the world. I don’t think anyone would get the better of him.”
