A massive price tag has reportedly been slapped on West Ham’s top target, but there may be a way for them to get round it.
When Mavropanos went off injured against Bristol City, it became extremely clear why West Ham are so interested in signing a centre-back. Thilo Kehrer has left on loan, Nayef Aguerd could be sold, Angelo Ogbonna is well past his best and Kurt Zouma can get injured at literally any given moment – the depth is not as sufficient as it first appeared.
Unsurprisingly then, West Ham have lined up a list of potential replacements in the event that Aguerd does leave this January, with one of the top targets being Wolves Max Kilman.
Kilman fits David Moyes’ vision of the ideal central defender to the letter: he is a homegrown player with plenty of Premier League experience, standing at a staggering 6’4, with a real commanding presence on the pitch. He could be the Craig Dawson esque replacement that the Hammers desperately need.
Unfortunately, such a player does not come cheap and Gary O’Neil has valued him at £40 million, according to the Guardian. Given West Ham’s limited budget this January, it is highly unlikely they will find that sort of cash to spend on one player. Luckily for them, there may be another way.
Wolves are reportedly interested in signing both Said Benrahma and Danny Ings (the latter on loan) this month. This could present the perfect opportunity for the two clubs to do a swap deal, but the East London side would likely have to add some money on top of the duo in order to convince the Midlands clubs to sell.
Our Irons could really do with someone like Kilman, a dependable, strong and calm character who can really make the defence more solid as a whole. He really could be the missing piece to the puzzle to ensure we have the tight back line that Moyes’ style of play requires.
There has to be a chain reaction of events for this move to happen though, and that most likely starts with Nayef Aguerd being sold. This window could get very interesting.
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