West Ham United, under new boss Julen Lopetegui, are actively looking to shore up their defense, a weakness exposed throughout last season. While their first summer signing, young Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme, bolsters their attack, the glaring issue at the back remains. Enter Jacob Greaves, Hull City’s highly-rated young centre-back, who has emerged as a potential target for the Hammers.
Given the £45m quoted fee for Wolves Max Kilman, West Ham could be forced to look for cheaper options but that always carries a risk. However, as has been shown with the signing of Jarrod Bowen, sometimes Championship players can step up and thrive at the top level.
Greaves’ impressive statistics from the 2023/24 Championship season showcase a defender with a strong foundation. His high passing accuracy and successful duels paint a picture of a technically sound and reliable centre-back.
At just 23 years old, Greaves boasts significant room for development. West Ham could be looking to groom him into a long-term solution for their defensive woes.
Also his multiple selections in the Championship’s Team of the Week highlight leadership potential, a vital attribute for any successful defence.
A significant question mark hangs over Greaves’ ability to adapt to the Premier League’s intensity. The step up in competition could prove challenging, and there’s a risk of him not settling in immediately.
With Hull City understandably reluctant to lose a prized asset, West Ham might face a hefty price tag to secure Greaves’ services. This could strain their transfer budget for other areas needing improvement.
The Hammers are exploring other centre-backs with more established Premier League experience, potentially offering a more immediate impact on their defensive line.
While Greaves is undoubtedly a talented young defender with immense potential, West Ham must carefully consider the risks involved. His lack of Premier League experience raises concerns about his ability to adapt quickly. If West Ham are desperate for a defender who can make an immediate difference in their fight for a top six place, pursuing a more experienced option might be wiser.
My wife says “buy that one” because he’s so handsome. Jarrod could mentor him too. Looks a no-brainer to me
Greaves is the best centre half in the championship bar non. He improves every year and has everything to his game….A brilliant player
I would pair greaves with kilman for stability and have young Brazilian centre back as back up! Our defense needs a complete overhaul and we also need youseff fofana from Monaco £17m is a steal for a centre midfielder who plays for France and a centre forward.
This greaves lad is a leader at the back loves a tackle like a Damon in the air could be our new young Dawson esc player⚒
Zouma was good when he joined and was a steady performer after the cat-kicking incident. Only last season his level dropped, but it was not only him. He could have been rested but Moyes would rather flog him than try other players, Ogbonna should have started more games. You dont need blistering pace to be good centre-back – anticipation and reading the game would be enough. Ehen was the last time we had a quick defender anyway? Rio ?
Cheers Paul. I would be very surprised if anyone would buy Kurt or if he would pass a medical. You could have a point about Aguerd maybe in a new set up he may be better. Definitely a decent player and would save money on having to bring in two or 3 new CBs
Defense ?, get a grip
This isn’t a risk! The risk would be putting a man back in the side that has the same level of mobility as my mum who is 91. How Moyes kept picking Zouma last season I just don’t know. Oggy would have been a better bet if he had been given a good run of games.
This guy sounds like a young John Stones who whilst we know makes the odd mistake but is an immense talent and he has a lot of time to develop. This is the sort of player we should be buying along with the new Brazilian youngster. They should have some more experienced players to help bring them on.
Sorry to hear about your Mum’s immobility and I hope she is recovering! It was the 4 – 1 defeat at Villa, we had a corner which led to a counter attack and Kurt Zouma sprinted but embarrassingly limply back to defend. Any manager seeing that new how best to expose him and there after he struggled, which also affected Aguards performances. Hope Aguard stays because under a different defensive system he’ll be a different player.
Think Bowen, he was Championship and was a brilliant buy. Think Ings load of prem experience and he was rubbish. Think Zouma what a risk he was, massive wages, and injury prone, not a great buy either.
I’d live to see good championship players given a chance, plus some of the academy boys.