West Ham’s decision not to pursue the free transfer signing of John Egan following his trial with the club is great news for Kaelan Casey.
The idea of a journeyman football pro from the lower leagues coming in as central defensive cover for the Hammers never really sat well with me. Had West Ham signed a top-quality, world-class player like Mats Hummels, there would have been little cause for complaint.
The club has already spent big by signing Max Kilman for £40 million, and as confirmed two days ago, the permanent transfer of Jean-Clair Todibo is now a formality. Konstantinos Mavropanos, a Greek international, has performed well this season, so realistically, all West Ham really needs is some cover in the centre-back position.
Casey will be perfect for this role, and the experience he will gain from being around the first team on matchdays as a substitute will be invaluable to his football education. One of the biggest criticisms of former manager David Moyes was his failure to create a pathway from the academy to the first team. Therefore, it is heartening to see an opportunity open up for our young FA Youth Cup-winning defender.
Kaelan Casey is an incredibly talented young player and, in all likelihood, a better player than John Egan. The only difference is probably experience, and Casey now has the opportunity to gain just that.