David Moyes will make incoming defenders his priority this summer as he looks to add two or three new faces to his squad.
The manager is thought to be looking at a number of left-backs, right-backs and central defenders to strengthen the squad and the Hammer defence.
The Hammers conceded 62 goals last season and the 57-year-old manager wants to make that his number one priority.
While attacking targets such as Eberechi Eze and Saïd Benrahma has been heavily reported it should be defender targets we should pay more close attention to.
In left-back names like Rico Henry from Brentford, Ryan Manning from QPR and Antonee Robinson from Wigan have been mentioned.
In the right-back position, Jayden Bogle from Derby County Moussa Wague from Barcelona and Gonzalo Montiel from River Plate could be targeted.
As for centre backs Christoph Zimmermann from Norwich, Tom Lockyer form Charlton Athletic, Malang Sarr from Nice and Cédric Kipré from Wigan could be names to watch out for.
Yesterday Sky Sports have claimed that Southampton are interested in signing Hammers right-back Ryan Fredericks this summer, with the Saints alerted to the ‘potential availability’ of the Hammers star. Arthur Masuaku and Fabian Balbuena could find themselves on the surplus to requirements list also as Moyes reshapes his defense.
Hoping Southampton sign Fredericks, have to agree defensive wing backs are a priority, Ben Johnson is brilliant but his injury record is a worry, if we can concede 20 less goals a season we will be top 7, hopefully though we can have a budget that allows Moyes to add defensively, midfield and forwards.
Surely we also need another striker, we cannot go another season with Haller playing a loan striker role and Antonio struggles to stay fit for a whole season, unless Moyes is planning to promote Silva.
This is genuinely the best news re transfer plans… we have so capable attackers but ship so many goals. If moyes is worth his salt as a manager he’ll turn anderson / lanzini / haller back into the 40m+ rated players they were only last season but re our FB’s and CB depth we simply need better quality
We will surely make more than the Eze fee when we sell Lanzini, Anderson etc. We should sign him as he’s 22 and will be a decade long career with us. Accept that the majority should go on full backs and defensive players after that. Disappointing if we let him go to a rival and strengthen them. Eze, Diangana, and Bowen would be a great mix.
Yes, defensively is our biggest problem. I don’t rate Diop at all. Can’t pick up defenders to save his life. I like Johnson a lot but still need another left or right back.
This is horrible news, if the truth is the owners will only sanction about 3 arrivals. Yes ee need these positions strengthened but we need a real number 10 and a real striker. Sell Haller and we better make Grady Diangana a starter too.
Have Southampton not seen Fredericks play? I’m quite sure nobody of any influence at West Ham had seen him play before we signed him as a free agent. I think he has some raw ability and he is quick, but far too often his positional sense and capacity to close an attacker down are wanting. I’m not sure his attitude was what we’d expect either. He always appeared to play with a sizable chip on his shoulder. When Ngakia and then Johnston came into the team at right back we saw what difference it made with both youngsters more technically capable and more defensively adept. I find it unforgivable that the club allowed the situation with Ngakia to sour. I’d have been more than happy to have both of these players in the starting eleven with Johnston operating on the left. This financial saving would have allowed them to deal more effectively with finding another number six as part of a succession plan for Mark Noble. Get these three positions sorted and suddenly the team’s capacity to win and maintain possession improves the team’s attack. Watch Haller improve his game when supply is subsequently increased.
I wonder if we could have expected much in the way of attitude from a guy who left a promotion-winning team days after winning promotion. He makes too many mistakes, and, as has been said above, is frequently caught out of position. He’s not assertive enough either, as Jack Grealish’s goal on Sunday, amongst many examples, demonstrates.
totally agree with this strategy as well. my dream = defend like Italy, attack like Brazil 🤤