West Ham in search of Potter’s fourth man | Battle with Benfica looms

With West Ham and many other clubs up against PSR rules, Graham Potter and his team in search for their fourth centre-back option, will most likely need to look at the free transfer market and may also raise some transfer funds by selling Nayef Aguerd – who has been linked to Manchester United, along with Konstantinos Mavropanos who has failed to impress the new manager.

The Hammers will face stiff competition from Portuguese giants Benfica who sold the player to Manchester United in 2017 for £31m. West Ham were interested in a loan deal in January, yet talks failed to progress.

The injury-ravaged defender spent around 112 days out last season, and has found himself behind Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Lisandro Martinez in the pecking order for a starting spot.

In total Lindelof, now aged 30,  has played 270 times for United, scoring four goals. Lindelof’s injury record raises concerns, and with his career nearing its twilight, he would likely be considered a high-risk signing.

Another player considered is Adam Webster, whom Graham Potter worked with at Brighton. The 6ft 3” centre-back has made over 133 league appearances for the Seagulls since 2019. At 30 years old, Webster’s contract runs until June 2026, though he has recently been a peripheral figure for the club, who are eager to raise cash, after spending over £235m in the past two transfer windows. Spoken about in West Ham circles as a ‘Craig Dawson 2.0’ option, his is arguably the less risky option since he is known personally to Potter and is familiar with the head coaches’ system.