West Ham will target the Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Max Kilman if they raise funds by selling Nayef Aguerd this month.
David Moyes is keen to sign a new defender and is plotting a move for Kilman. The defender has been in fine form for Wolves and West Ham are aware that buying him will not be easy. Kilman signed a new five-year deal last summer and Wolves, who could demand at least £40m for the 26-year-old, would be reluctant to lose such a key player midway through the season.
West Ham have not started this window with a huge budget and have made it clear that incomings will hinge on money raised through sales. But they have been tracking Kilman, with Moyes looking to make changes to his back four.
Aguerd joined West Ham from Rennes for £28m in the summer of 2022 and was part of the club’s triumph in the Europa Conference League last season. But the centre-back, who is part of Morocco’s African Cup of Nations campaign, has made a number of costly errors this season and has had interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League since last summer.
Moyes, who is expected to sign a new two-and-a-half year deal soon, is ready to replace Aguerd if a replacement is available. The manager’s desire for an addition in defence is understandable. Kurt Zouma, West Ham’s captain, has struggled with injuries and Thilo Kehrer has joined Monaco on loan. Angelo Ogbonna, 35, needs to manage his workload and Konstantinos Mavropanos is still settling since his move from Stuttgart last summer.
West Ham’s targets include Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall and Peterborough’s Ronnie Edwards, who is wanted by Crystal Palace. However Moyes, who almost signed Manchester United’s Harry Maguire last summer, has often pushed for players who are proven in the Premier League. Kilman fits the ball in that regard and would boost the dwindling number of homegrown players in West Ham’s squad.
West Ham are also looking for a left winger and are monitoring the Ajax forward, Steven Bergwijn. Their interest in the former Tottenham player is not advanced. Sunderland’s Jack Clarke is another target and there is longstanding interest in the Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike. West Ham are prepared to listen to offers for the Algeria winger Saïd Benrahma and the Spain midfielder Pablo Fornals. Wolves want the former Aston Villa striker, Danny Ings, on loan.
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Borussia Dortmund are closing in on a loan deal for Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen. Talks between the clubs are ongoing and negotiations over the left-back are not finished. Maatsen, a product of Chelsea’s academy, was a £31.5m target for Burnley last summer. His opportunities under Mauricio Pochettino have been limited this season and Chelsea have been looking to raise funds by selling him. At this stage a loan to Dortmund looks likelier than a permanent move.
