West Ham United tipped to sign Stoke City defender Harry Souttar by pundit
West Ham could be an ideal destination for Stoke City’s Australian international defender Harry Souttar, according to ex-Premier League goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
Hammers boss David Moyes is believed to be on the hunt for a new centre back in the January transfer window, and Souttar has been linked with a move to East London in the past.
TEAMtalk [29 December] claimed that West Ham were ready to battle fellow Premier League strugglers Wolves for the defender’s signature in January following an impressive World Cup campaign with Australia.
With key defender Craig Dawson looking to be on the move this summer, additions at centre-back are paramount at London Stadium.
And Souttar’s fellow countryman Schwarzer believes that the 24-year-old centre-back would be a great fit at West Ham.
Speaking to Optus Sport [9 January], the BBC pundit said: “Harry Souttar obviously has been enormous, he is enormous, and he was enormous.
“He bounced back really well after the France game because there were question marks over the defending, they got caught out a little bit with high balls in the box – him and Kye Rowles.
“He’s definitely going to a Premier League club.
“There’s been some mention of West Ham, I could see him fitting in really, really well with David Moyes in that squad. That would be my guess at this moment.”
Ready
Considering his stunning performances in the Sky Bet Championship and on the biggest footballing stage at the World Cup against the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, Souttar is certainly ready for a step up to Premier League level.
The 24-year-old would steadily improve the Hammers back-line as well as being a reliable and pivotal presence at the heart of their defence for years to come.
With Dawson and Angelo Ogbanna’s immediate future uncertain, and the number of injuries picked up in defence, Moyes is in desperate need of quality additions in his defence, especially players who rarely get troubled with injuries.
And Souttar fits the bill seeing as he’s only suffered a serious injury once in his whole career. The Australian looked absolute class at the World Cup. especially against eventual finalists Argentina and France and is evidently above and beyond the level of the Championship for Stoke City.
Dominant in the air, a commanding presence at the back, a vocal leader and adept in possession, Souttar does indeed the perfect fit for Moyes’ defence. He’s the ideal replacement for Dawson, and could well form a perfect partnership with fellow World Cup star Nayef Aguerd.