West Ham United have now joined the race to sign a “physical” new centre-back, amid criticism of Max Kilman’s recent performances.
West Ham in real danger after Nottingham Forest defeat
Unless there is a major turnaround in results and performances, the writing could be on the wall for West Ham, who are now seven points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, after falling to a 2-1 home defeat against the Tricky Trees in their last match.
The Hammers are now in real danger of being relegated to the Championship, and their terrible defensive record is one of the main factors, having conceded 43 goals in the Premier League, more than any other side.
Kilman wasn’t involved in the defeat against Forest, with the Englishman being benched, following widespread criticism of some of his displays.
Things are looking bleak, and if the Irons are to stand any chance of avoiding the drop, they will need to improve their backline this month, with a new target recently being identified.
According to a report from Het Nieuwsblad (via Sport Witness), West Ham have now entered the race to sign OH Leuven’s Roggerio Nyakossi, following the former Marseille man’s impressive performances in the Jupiler Pro League this season.
Southampton are also vying to sign the centre-back, and his current club are willing to sanction a departure, having told his agents they are free to negotiate an exit starting from February.
The report doesn’t make it clear what OH Leuven’s asking price is, however, the defender is expected to command a fee far higher than the €800k (£700k) the Belgian club spent to sign him from Marseille.
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The Hammers are desperate to strengthen their squad this month.
Nyakossi could be exciting long-term addition for West Ham
Upon his arrival at OH Leuven, the 21-year-old received high praise from CEO Frédéric Van den Steen, who said: “Nyakossi is a player with a lot of potential and I am very happy that we can definitively take him from Marseille.
“We believe in his qualities and want to invest in the future of our team. But also in the short term, Nyakossi will have an impact. With his leadership qualities, physical attributes and versatility he is a great addition to our squad.”
Since then, the Swiss defender has gone on to establish himself as an important player, winning four duels and making four clearances to help his side secure a surprise 1-0 victory against Standard Liege last month.
There have been calls for Nuno to drop Kilman for quite some time, so it is little wonder West Ham are looking to bring in a new centre-back.
However, while Nyakossi could be a solid long-term addition to the squad, the fact he may not be available until the end of the season is an issue, as West Ham need to make improvements immediately, considering relegation is looking like an increasingly likely possibility.