Lanzini tips River Plate right back to fit in at West Ham

Hammer Manuel Lanzini wants to see River Plate full-back Gonzalo Montiel playing alongside him at the London Stadium next season. He admits to talking to the 23-year-old about joining the Hammers this summer after a bid was reportedly rejected in the January transfer window.

Lanzini is quoted as saying to Diario Olé in his native Argentina “I think Montiel would fit in well at West Ham. I know they looked for him and couldn’t bring him in, he asked me and I spoke to him. The coach (Moyes) likes him. He likes to play with three or five defenders.”

Although Montiel is primarily a right-back he is also capable of filling in at centre back too if so required. He is often deployed as a ring winger for River plate who often play him in an attacking formation but he is said to posses excellent defensive skills as well as the ability to push forward.

In March 2019, Montiel was named in Argentina’s squad for friendlies against Venezuela and Morocco by manager and former Hammer Lionel Scaloni. On 22 March, Montiel made his debut against Venezuela. He has made 64 appearances since 2016 for Lanzini’s former team River Plate.