Manuel Pellegrini is understood to be monitoring Manchester City central defender Nicolas Otamendi’s situation at as he looks towards the summer transfer window.
The Hammers boss took the Argentiniin central defender to the club when he took over at City and he could now move in again – at the right price – with Otamendi likely to want out this summer.
He has made 17 Premier League appearances this season and at 31 is looking for regular first team football although despite his age he is still valued at around £20 million.
The Hammers boss also remains keen on Alaves central defender Guillermo Maripan,24, and would cost in the region of £22 million.
Otamendi is a close pal of Zaba’s and was included in the PFA team of the year last season. He is an uncompromising hard man defender.
Sources close to CandH at the Etihad claim he is also fancied by his former club Valencia but that he is more likely to get the £100k a week he is currently earning at West Ham, or the PL, generally than at a lower La Liga outfit.
I thought we were applying a policy of buying younger players ?
Have any of you actually watched this guy play? He is absolutely an upgrade on what we have and good for another 4 years surely.
Exactly the sort of player we don’t want, too old, too expensive and simply not good enough to challenge Diop and the General. We want young players with potential and good attitude who don’t costs the earth like Declan.
I agree with the general consensus. I’m not anti signing him but not on those wages. I like Balbuena and Diop as a partnership and 100k p/w on a back up doesn’t make much sense. Younger and cheaper is a better option in my view.
Playing devil’s advocate, Pellegrini may see big name signings as a message to other targets that West Ham are a ‘big club’ and should not be discounted.
Not interested, unless he was half those figures. Investing in players like Maripan to become a longer term solution has to be the way forward, surely? I sincerely hope Reid comes back hungry, but I’m not sure we’ll see much more of him. Rice can fill in if we’re desperate.
Diop, Balbuena, Ogbonna and Reid, why would we want to spend money on a 31 year old centre back?
Exactly right. We should be bringing younger hungrier players it. Not old guard who have done it all and won it all. And a fit Reid would be just as good. We should weigh him up during pre-season