Eric Dier West Ham stance shared as Monaco transfer plans revealed
West Ham are on the lookout for a new centre-back amid links with former Tottenham ace Eric Dier.
With 21 Premier League games played, things are looking dire for West Ham in their bid to beat the drop this season.
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is under huge pressure to keep his job, with the Hammers currently seven points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
Among many areas of concern, West Ham’s defence, or lack thereof, has stood out at times for all the wrong reasons. They have shipped 43 goals so far – the worst in the division.
West Ham have been linked with a move for Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, and recently, they have also been credited with interest in Monaco defender Dier. But whether they can bring in new recruits is up in the air.
West Ham learn Eric Dier thoughts on London Stadium switch
Speculation has mounted about Dier’s future at Monaco after struggling for game time since his summer switch from Bayern Munich.
The 31-year-old has made nine appearances in all competitions and, while hamstring and calf injuries have waylaid his progress, he was an unused substitute in Monaco’s last two Ligue 1 games.
Mohammed Salisu and Thilo Kehrer are the club’s first-choice centre-backs, but an injury to the former has opened a window of opportunity for Dier.
And according to Sky Sports, Monaco have “no plans” to sell Dier, and he is happy at the French outfit, where his contract runs until the summer of 2028.
This is another blow as it looks like West Ham may lose star player Lucas Paqueta during the January transfer window.
West Ham eye more January transfers after early deals
Within the first week of the winter transfer window opening, West Ham signed forwards Pablo Felipe and Taty Castellanos from Gil Vicente and Lazio, respectively.
Conversely, Football Insider exclusively reported that West Ham and striker Callum Wilson had agreed to have his contract terminated early. Without him, they will need to find a new source of goals in a goal-shy forward line.
| West Ham’s top Premier League scorers this season | |
| Jarrod Bowen | 6 |
| Lucas Paqueta | 4 |
| Callum Wilson | 4 |
| Tomas Soucek | 2 |
| Mateus Fernandes | 2 |
And despite signing two attackers, the West Ham boss wants more acquisitions this month.
Nuno told Sky Sports: “Grateful because it was a need. I think we have done well in a transfer window that is very tricky to operate. Pablo was at the Wolves game, now we have Taty and we hope we can have more.
“We hope that we can have more because it’s the right moment to try and impact the squad and give to the squad the help that it deserves and needs. We need options.”
Stay up to date this winter with our West Ham transfer tracker. Click to see every done deal at the London Stadium, plus expert reaction from our team of writers.