OPINION
West Ham do not need to conduct a lot of transfer business in the near future but it’s clear they should spring into action if the right defensive midfielder becomes available.
While Declan Rice has defied expectations to flourish as a midfield enforcer if he was to suffer an injury or miss a game for any reason, Manuel Pellegrini would struggle to find a worthy player to take his space.
However if the Hammers were to sign Pele from Monaco anytime soon Pellegrini wouldn’t have a problem, and given that his agent Jorge Mendes is reportedly keen to get him a move then it seems the London club must act to get him.
According to the Daily Mirror’s Live Transfer Blog (Saturday January 19th, 23:12) the super agent wants to get his client a move due to his chances at Monaco currently being limited and this has prompted Wolves to start pursuing him.
Yet given that the 27-year-old midfield enforcer could be exactly what Pellegrini needs and his agent clearly wanting to improve his client’s situation, the Hammers must sign him ahead of Wolves.
Pele is not just defensively strong due to his knack for intercepting the ball but he is a slick dribbler and is a sublime passer of the ball, which means he comfortably fits into Pellegrini’s style of play.
It’s easy to imagine the current Monaco player being able to be the ideal midfield anchor for the Hammers to such a degree where Rice could make the transition backed to his natural position of centre-back.
While it’s unclear how much Pele would cost as Monaco did only recruit him in the summer from Portuguese Rio Ave FC, a deal might be able to be struck after he has only featured 11 times this season.
Therefore this all means that the Hammers must sign Pele as he ticks all the boxes for what they should want from new midfield enforcer and with his agent wanting to grease the wheels of a move, he seems a realistic player to target.