West Ham United are revamping their rearguard under Julen Lopetegui. The Spanish tactician has replaced David Moyes at the helm and has already bolstered his frontline with the £25.5m signing of winger Luis Guilherme, who is only 18.
Nayef Aguerd is expected to leave while captain Kurt Zouma could also be sold. The central defence is being overhauled. With Ben Johnson nearing a transfer to Premier League new boys Ipswich Town, a right-back is needed too.
West Ham eyeing new right-back
According to Fabrizio Romano, West Ham are locked in discussions with Southampton for the transfer of Kyle Walker-Peters, with Flynn Downes, who was on loan at St. Mary’s last term, being considered as part of the deal.
However, the one-time Tottenham Hotspur prospect is not the only name being considered to provide Vladimir Coufal with competition.
The Times reveal that the Irons have rekindled their interest in Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has one year left at Old Trafford and has been deemed surplus to requirements.
Why West Ham want a right-back
Man United signed Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace for £50m back in 2019. He has played 190 times for the prestigious Premier League club, winning the Carabao Cup and winning the FA Cup.
The 26-year-old has long been regarded as “a real monster in defence” by the likes of talent scout Jacek Kulig, while Jamie Carragher dubbed him the “best one-on-one full-back in the world” back in 2020.
A tackling machine with deceptive ball-progressing quality, West Ham could hit the jackpot here, offering a talented defender a clean slate and a chance to rebuild his career, with Wan-Bissaka having started only 20 Premier League matches last season.
| Aaron Wan-Bissaka: PL Defensive Stats by Season | ||||
| Season | Tackles | Interceptions | Clearances | Duel success |
| 23/24 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 4.0 (62%) |
| 22/23 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 3.1 (59%) |
| 21/22 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 4.9 (62%) |
| 20/21 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 4.0 (60%) |
| 19/20 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 5.8 (64%) |
| Stats (per game) via Sofascore | ||||
The £90k-per-week Wan-Bissaka would be the first to say that his performances haven’t been up to scratch recently, but he’s one of the finest defenders in the Premier League and could make a real difference to the West Ham backline, potentially even providing the likes of Jarrod Bowen with steely security.
Bowen is likely to sit in his favoured right-flanking position next season with an incentive to sign a centre-forward, which will be crucial to Lopetegui’s success, with the head coach looking to implement an intense pressing game that sees wide forwards’ attacking qualities maximised and wide defenders aid them by pushing up the field.
Wan-Bissaka’s robust approach would allow Bowen to flourish, and given that the Red Devils defender ranks among the top 17% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion too, as per FBref, he has the crisp passing game to maintain fluidity and ensure West Ham enter the new era with positive undertones.
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