By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
West Ham are reportedly preparing to renew their interest in Köln centre-back Rav van den Berg when the January transfer window opens.
According to German newspaper Express, the Hammers attempted to sign the 22-year-old during the summer and their interest remains strong.
Van den Berg is currently fourth choice at Köln and has yet to play a single minute this season, with the Bundesliga club reportedly prepared to listen to offers in January.
And West Ham’s continued pursuit makes considerably more sense when you consider what has happened to Morato.
Morato’s Role Has Changed
Morato arrived from Nottingham Forest as another central defensive option for Nuno Espírito Santo, but circumstances have changed almost immediately.
The hurried departure of El Hadji Malick Diouf left West Ham scrambling for a left-back late in the transfer window, eventually bringing in Adama Boiro.
Yet, perhaps somewhat accidentally, Morato now appears to have moved ahead of him and become Nuno’s first-choice left-back.
Morato celebrates scoring his first West Ham from the position of left back
Admittedly, we have very few games to use as evidence, so it’s far too early to declare that a permanent positional switch.
However, if Morato is going to play regularly on the left, Nuno can’t necessarily consider him reliable centre-back cover for Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Therefore another central defender makes sense.
Van Den Berg Knows The Championship
Van den Berg is certainly an interesting option.
The 6ft 4in Dutch defender joined Köln from Middlesbrough in 2025 and is contracted until 2030.
His first season at Boro was particularly impressive, with Van den Berg winning both the club’s Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards.
Things haven’t worked out nearly as well in Germany and he currently finds himself well down the pecking order.
Express claims figures above €15million are being discussed, although that would appear steep for a player who isn’t currently playing.
I’d much prefer West Ham to explore a loan, perhaps with an option to buy or even an obligation in the event of promotion to the Premier League.
One would hope there is still money in the coffers for Nils Koppen to spend in January, but there are likely to be other areas requiring attention too.
West Ham wasted an awful lot of time during the summer chasing Axel Disasi, who clearly had little intention of returning to the club.
Van den Berg is younger, already knows the Championship and appears to be available.