West Ham United: David Moyes urged to seal Deadline Day defensive upgrades at London Stadium, senior stars ‘not good enough’
We’re delighted to welcome former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the London Stadium…
Frank McAvennie admits West Ham may need to consider a last-gasp defensive signing at the London Stadium ahead of the transfer deadline as the current options haven’t been good enough at times.
The Athletic journalist David Ornstein shared on the Sky Sports Transfers Talk podcast (24 January) that the Hammers have made a few enquiries this month about a loan deal for a “versatile” defensive option.
Ornstein shared that the defence could likely be an area that David Moyes and technical director Tim Steidten could look to strengthen after the Kalvin Phillips deal.
Ornstein said: “There is a question about the attacking department and also in defence, I’ve heard they’ve made a few enquiries about a loan deal for a versatile defender so perhaps it’s an area of the pitch on David Moyes’ mind.”
The Sun reported on 30 January that West Ham United want to sign Le Havre central defender Etienne Kinkoue before the transfer window closes.
McAvennie told West Ham Zone: “Oh my god, yeah we really do need strengthening.
“I see some of our defending this season, and we get stretched too easily, it hasn’t been good enough from some of the senior players at certain moments.
“Kurt Zouma is great when he’s up against an attacker and winning the ball but his running, my God, he’s too slow. At times this season, he’s been struggling and the injuries and absences don’t help David Moyes either.
“Konstantinos Mavropanos has been up and down and I’m concerned about him because he keeps giving the ball away, and made some crucial mistakes like that one at Bristol City.
“I never even see them two talk together so there are some communication issues.
“Angelo Ogbonna is on his last legs and can’t be relied upon for more than 15 games so yeah I would definitely like to see West Ham push for a defender before the deadline, really.
“We need a reliable centre-half, someone that fans are confident won’t be a liability. Back in my day, we had a strong defence because we had defenders who took no nonsense. They were good on the ball but also dominant in their duels and in the air.
“We do have that but we don’t see it every week. The game against Sheffield United, my God, it was a shambles.“
In other West Ham news, Dharmesh Sheth has shared a “problematic” transfer update.
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