Whilst West Ham United managed to secure the signing of Max Kilman last week, it appears that the Hammers are still on the lookout for defenders in order to bolster Julen Lopetegui’s side.
Defenders still high on Hammers’ list of priorities
Despite agreeing a £40 million to sign Kilman from fellow Premier League side Wolves, it appears that West Ham are still in the market for reinforcements at the back.
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Part of this quest for new defensive players stems from the number of current Hammers set to leave the London Stadium this summer. Ben Johnson has already departed the club after refusing a number of new deals from the East London outfit. It has already been confirmed that the 24-year-old will be playing for Ipswich Town next season.
Another defender that could be on the move is current starting right back Vladimir Coufal. Recent reports in the Turkish press are claiming that Galatasaray are in the hunt to sign the Czech full back whose contract expires next summer. Because of this, the Hammers may be tempted to cash while they can still get a fee for the player.
With the Hammers potentially entering the new season without a recognised right back on their books, there is no wonder why they have now entered the race for a player to fill the vacancy in this area of the pitch.
West Ham and Everton make moves for Serie A defender
As first reported by Football Inisder’s Pete O’Rourke, West Ham have joined Everton in the race to sign Hellas Verona defender Jackson Tchatchoua.
It is reported that the Serie A outfit are looking for a little over £6.5 million to part ways with the defender this summer. Considering that Verona paid £2.5 million last month to make Tchatchoua’s loan from Belgian side Royal Charleroi S.C. permanent, it would be a decent bit of business for all sides.
Upon making his deal with Verona permanent, Tchatchoua signed a three-year-deal with the club set to keep him in Italy until the summer of 2027. Despite this, it is likely that Verona would be willing to let the player leave if the £6.5 million price tag can be met.
The 22-year-old made 26 league appearances last season as Verona finished 13th in Serie A. Tchatchoua proved to be a vital asset to his side during the course of the last campaign, playing a number of different positions depending on where he was needed.
The natural full back played as both a right and left-sided midfielder last season, suggesting that he is anything but afraid of flexing his attacking muscles when necessary. With Coufal and Johnson known for their occasional ventures forward, Tchatchoua would be a perfect fit for Lopetegui’s new-look West Ham side next season.
Whilst it is unlikely that the 22-year-old would be the Hammers’ first choice in this position next season, there is no doubt that Tchatchoua would be a vital asset for West Ham owing to his ability to take up numerous positions all over the pitch.