OPINON
West Ham are in the hunt to sign a new centre half this summer and have reportedly turned their attentions to Alaves defender Guillermo Maripan, as Manuel Pellegrini looks to add some strength in depth to his squad.
Maripan has had a strong season with Alaves, who currently sit in eighth place in La Liga and are still pushing for qualification for European football next season, with the 6ft 4ins centre-back offering a dominant presence at the heart of Alaves’ defence.
West Ham have reportedly already submitted a bid of £9.5m for the Chilean, according to a report in the Daily Mail, with Alaves thought to be looking to secure a fee in the region of his reported £21m buy-out clause.
Pellegrini’s pursuit of a new centre half could potentially put the future of Winston Reid in doubt, with the New Zealand international having been ruled out of action all season, after picking up a serious long-term injury over 12 months ago.
Reid has been an important player for West Ham since joining the club in 2010 and will always have a place in the club’s history after scoring the last ever goal at Upton Park, in the infamous 3-2 win against Manchester United.
The New Zealander has struggled with injuries throughout his time with West Ham, and this latest long-term set back leaves Pellegrini with a decision to make over whether he needs to replace Reid with someone more reliable fitness wise.
This has been heightened by West Ham at time this season struggling against the more physical sides in the Premier League without the influence of Reid, and Pellegrini will be looking to add some extra defensive steel to his squad this summer to compensate for his absence.
Maripan’s commanding physical stature would make him an ideal potential replacement for Reid, with the Chilean also having the capability to retain possession and built out from the back, which would be useful as Pellegrini continues to attempt to impose his style on West Ham.