West Ham United want to sign Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah
West Ham United want to sign Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah this summer amid speculation surrounding his future, according to 90min.
The former England Under-21 international has found himself on the fringes at Stamford Bridge after the arrival of Wesley Fofana and return of Levi Colwill from loan at Brighton, despite the exit of Kalidou Koulibaly to Saudi Arabia.
With the Blues still looking to trim their squad ahead of the new season West Ham are looking at their squad for potential targets and as well as long-term target Conor Gallagher, Chalobah has emerged as someone on their radar too.
“Like Gallagher, there is plenty of interest in Chalobah,” they wrote.
“In the Premier League, the defender is on the radars of both Crystal Palace and West Ham, while Serie A giants Inter have also voiced an interest in Chalobah during the ongoing discussions between the two clubs over Romelu Lukaku’s future.”
Quality
The last time West Ham signed a defender from Chelsea was last summer when Emerson Palmieri arrived, and he helped take the team to a new level once he finally settled.
Before that it was Kurt Zouma, who has become a stalwart of the team and our best defender. He has excelled since joining and something similar could be on the cards if Chalobah were to make the move.
It’s unlikely that it would be a cheap deal such is Chelsea’s negotiation stance, but Zouma’s injuries are beginning to pile up and the Hammers are already short on numbers at the back after allowing Craig Dawson to leave in January without a replacement.
His ability to play right-back is also a helpful addition, and he comes with the backing of legendary defender Rio Ferdinand who admitted he was “massively impressed” after watching him.
It would be shrewd business if we can pull it off, but it certainly won’t be an easy deal.
In other West Ham news, the club have made contact with a European giant over a £25.7m deal for this international forward.