OPINION
West Ham must attempt to sign Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling in the January transfer window after it was reported that the would be available for £30million in the winter.
According to the Sun, Everton are eyeing up the 28-year-old powerhouse, but they appear to be more interested on waiting until next summer so they can attempt to sign him for free.
Smalling’s current £90,000-a-week deal is set to expire at the end of the season, but it is understood that United have the option to extend his deal for a further 12 months, so Everton could rule themselves out of the running to get him in January and that could leave the door open for West Ham.
Manuel Pellegrini could really do with adding some proven Premier League quality to the heart of his defence in January.
The Hammers have hardly been solid this season while Smalling has been in a good run of form at Old Trafford despite widespread criticism of him throughout his entire time in Manchester.
The England international is probably someone that a lot of fans would look at and think ‘ugh, not him’, but a player like the ex-Fulham man would be a seriously good addition for West Ham because they lack some real Premier League experience in their defence.
Smalling has made over 200 appearances in England’s top-flight, has 31 senior international caps and boasts two Premier League winners’ medals, an FA Cup title and was part of the United side that won the Europa League in 2017.
E20 would roar if Pellegrini was able to sign a player with that kind of CV, so the Chilean must go after Smalling as soon as he possibly can.