Insider ExWHUemployee has said that West Ham United are considering signing a new centre-back amid injuries to Nayef Aguerd and Craig Dawson.
The Moroccan centre-back came off during the first half of their friendly match against Rangers recently, leading to concerns over his fitness.
On top of that, Dawson reportedly has an issue with his thigh, and with the Premier League season so close, both players will likely be doubts for the early stages of the campaign.
Adding to the problem further, West Ham centre-back Issa Diop is likely to leave this summer, so the gaps in the heart of defence could be pretty notable in the coming weeks.
In light of all this, in an update shared to The West Ham Way Patreon page, Ex explained that David Moyes may need to go out and sign an extra defender.
He explained: “The club are also looking at a centre-back with Dawson and Aguerd still recovering from injury and Diop’s future in the balance, as well as having a knock which meant him missing yesterday’s game against Luton.
“They hope to have a few deals lined up and a decision whether to push through with the transfers will be made soon when Dawson and Aguerd’s return dates are more clear.
“It is hoped that Aguerd isn’t as serious as first thought but he is likely to struggle for the first few games of the season as we revealed on the podcast. Dawson is also hoping to be back soon, too.”
Do West Ham need to sign another centre-back?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts on West Ham and their defenders…
Beyond those already mentioned, Kurt Zouma, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell and Declan Rice are all in the squad as possible centre-back options. However, Ogbonna is still recovering from a major injury, while Cresswell and Rice are not natural fits for the position.
And so, with the doubts over Aguerd, Dawson and Diop, it’s easy to see why West Ham may well feel the need to go out and buy an extra player if they want to make a strong start to the new season.
But as of yet, no name seems to have appeared as the most likely transfer target for that role, so it seems as though the Hammers will have to act quickly if they want to get a deal across the line for the beginning of the Premier League campaign.