West Ham are keen on signing Manchester United right-back Antonio Valencia on a free transfer in the summer, according to the Sun on Sunday.
The newspaper claim the London club’s manager Manuel Pellegrini will make a move for the Ecuador international if Pablo Zabaleta retires at the end of the season.
The Sun report Pellegrini is eyeing replacements for the Argentine and Valencia, who is not expected to be offered a United contract extension, tops his target list.
Good move for West Ham?
Valencia is the captain of one of the world’s elite clubs and has the kind of experience and pedigree that West Ham tend to favour. As they showed when signing Zabaleta two summers ago, the Londoners are not averse to landing proven defenders who come without transfer fees. Like the Argentine, Valencia’s best days are behind him and he has struggled to live up to expectations this season. He has started just five Premier League matches, and three in the Champions League, and looks something of a busted flush at the elite level. West Ham would be getting experience – he turns 34 in August – and pedigree, but Valencia would only ever be a short-term signing.
This Is Futbol rating 5/10
Likely to happen?
This is very much a deal you can see West Ham pulling off. The club have already signed two big-name players on free transfers since Pellegrini took over, Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri. Like them, Valencia will not come cheap, as his salary is said to be worth £100,000-a-week at United, but his experience and availability mean this is very much on the cards.
This Is Futbol rating 6/10