Signing Nayef Aguerd will not be enough to tackle West Ham defensive problem

West Ham are inching closer to completing a deal to sign French club Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd, according to the Evening Standard.

The London-based club have been in the market to sign a centre-back ahead of the start of the 2022-23 campaign.

Manager David Moyes has made the left-sided central defender his utmost priority and it looked like he is finally about to get his man.

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The Moroccan international has made 66 Ligue 1 appearances for Rennes since signing for them in the summer of 2020 from Dijon in a deal worth £3.60 million.

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West Ham fans watching their team play at the London Stadium

Good signing

West Ham have enjoyed a remarkable season that saw them finish seventh in the Premier League and reach the semi-finals of the Europa League. However, they have the biggest concerns with injuries, especially in the defence.

Angelo Ogbanna has been out with an injury since November whereas Kurt Zouma also struggled with a few niggles in the Premier League campaign. With Aguerd joining, Moyes will have a defender whom he can rely on.

The 26-year-old has a great injury record and doesn’t have a poor disciplinary record either. However, if we talk about football, his greatest strength is his passing range. Aguerd’s ability to pick out passes and beat the press makes him a vital component for any team.

Even though he doesn’t have the eye-watering numbers defensively, he makes up for it with what he does on the ball. In the previous campaign, Aguerd represented the Ligue 1 club in 40 matches in all competitions, scoring four times and providing three assists in the process.

The Irons cannot stop there though.

Injuries to Zouma and Ogbonna mean that options have been limited throughout the past season and we need more reinforcements to help with depth.

This is just the start.

In other West Ham news, a key West Ham man has humiliated himself with a series of off the mark rants

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