Born in Tübingen, Germany, Thilo Kehrer was a graduate of Schalke 04’s academy. He made his Bundesliga debut in 2016 

In 2018, it was announced that Kehrer had been transferred to Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain for 37 million euros (£31.1m).

The 25-year-old six-foot-one defender has played across the back four, possessing the speed and technical ability to operate at right-back, but also the height and strength to be used as a central defender.

His career originated with his move to Schalke in 2012 and he soon made his way into the under-19 squad. He guided them to the under-19 Bundesliga title in 2014/15. This opened up the doors to the first team and he became a back-up player to Benedikt Höwedes and Naldo.

Once he settled into the team, Kehrer’s ability was evident from the get-go. Consistent performances impressed Europe’s elite and earned him a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

One of Kehrer’s biggest capabilities is his versatility. Naturally he’s a centre-back, but is equally adept at playing right-back, having done so on many occasions for the German national team. Having also played as a defensive midfielder and left-back, Kehrer’s versatility gives his manager options to make numerous tactical changes to his starting XI.

Kehrer has immense physical ability and athleticism. Kehrer’s enthusiastic style of defending has seen him rush out often trying to hurry opposition players into making mistakes by misplacing a pass or successfully tackling them. While his role can be classified as a stopper, Kehrer’s speed and dynamism gives him room to fill in any gaps left in behind him by other players.

Coupled with great anticipatory skills, Kehrer’s aggressive playing style is slightly negated by his speed. However, playing at centre-back requires extra precision with positioning.

Kehrer’s pace and experience in playing at both right-back and centre-backs allow him to better mark and nullify attacking players.

Update: West Ham confirmed the £10.1m transfer plus up to £5.9m of add-ons for the defender at 1pm