Julen Lopetegui is striving to build up his West Ham United side after David Moyes’ tenure reached its culmination. Luis Guilherme has already been signed to add some exciting depth and potential to the flanks.
However, with Mohammed Kudus pushing for a move away from the London Stadium and Lucas Paqueta’s footballing future uncertain, more depth is needed up top.
Moreover, likely defensive exits have led to a concerted effort toward signing Max Kilman from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that talks are being held to sign him.
However, West Ham would be wise to seek out alternatives, indeed fixing upon another talented defender.
West Ham transfer news
As per Football Insider, West Ham are rivalling newly-promoted Premier League rivals Ipswich Town for Hull City’s Jacob Greaves, having held talks ahead of a possible deal.
The Athletic have revealed that the Tractor Boys have presented a £10m proposal to Hull but this will be swiftly rejected. Others, seemingly West Ham, are monitoring.
Why West Ham are pursuing Jacob Greaves
Greaves has been described as a “top-class” player by Championship-centred podcast host Ryan Dilks, even being crowned Hull’s Player of the Season after his exemplary 2023/24 season.
As per FBref, the 6 foot 1 star ranked among the top 8% of centre-backs in the Championship last term for assists, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for passes attempted, the top 25% for tackles and the top 4% for aerial battles won per 90.
It’s no wonder that football writer Alex Osborn hailed him as “the best CB in the Championship last season“, having played a significant role in the Tigers’ albeit unsuccessful push for promotion.
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Jacob Greaves vs Max Kilman: 23/24 Stat Comparison |
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|---|---|---|
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Statistic |
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|
Matches played |
43 |
38 |
|
Matches started |
43 |
38 |
|
Goals |
2 |
2 |
|
Assists |
4 |
0 |
|
Clean sheets |
11 |
5 |
|
Pass completion |
89% |
86% |
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Key passes per game |
0.5 |
0.4 |
|
Tackles per game |
1.8 |
1.2 |
|
Clearances per game |
4.3 |
4.7 |
|
Ball recoveries per game |
4.4 |
4.7 |
|
Duels won per game |
7.3 (69%) |
4.2 (63%) |
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All stats via Sofascore |
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While Lopetegui hopes to sign Kilman after spending a season with the 27-year-old at Molineux, Greaves is capable of emulating the Wolves captain in creativity, combativeness and sharpness, with the table above really highlighting the myriad similarities between the respective stars.
Kilman, moreover, is not going to come cheap. Valued as high as £50m by Wolves, he would exhaust significant resources at a time of pressing need for additions across the board.
Greaves has all the skills to succeed in east London and he could be a real bargain for a West Ham side in transition, clearly aligning with Lopetegui’s preferred style given his striking similarities to Kilman.
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