West Ham United to bin Jean Clair-Todibo chase amid renewed Trevoh Chalobah links
West Ham United somewhat surprisingly had one of the worst defences in the Premier League last season.
The Hammers still managed to finish in ninth place but in terms of goals conceded, they were the fourth-worst-ranked team in the top flight.
Indeed, this can’t be solely down to the defence as other areas of the team also need to take account for some of the goals conceded.
However, the lacklustre form of both Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd last term is no doubt one of the main reasons for the Hammers’ poor defensive performance.
And, even despite Zouma being the club’s captain, it feels as if the London-based club want nothing more than to see the back of the Frenchman and Morocco international this summer.
Throughout the transfer window, West Ham have been linked with a plethora of talent but the vast majority of their reported targets have been in their defensive line, most namely Jean Clair-Todibo [Fabrizio Romano, 11 July].
In fact, they’ve even had a bid accepted for him but Todibo seems to be holding out for a bigger move.
West Ham United should bin their chase for Jean Clair-Todibo this summer
This snub in itself should be enough to put the Hammers off acquiring the defender’s talents for the upcoming season.
Especially since Trevoh Chalobah has been made available for a fee worth between £30million and £35million (Fabrizio Romano) by his boyhood club Chelsea.
Although he would cost slightly more than the reported £30.2m option to buy that the Hammers’ deal with Nice includes, Chalobah would be the much safer option.
The Chelsea man already has Premier League and European experience and was in stellar form when called upon last season.
More importantly, he was snubbed by the Blues for their pre-season tour of the United States, which has further cast his Stamford Bridge future into doubt.
He and Max Kilman would form an ideal partnership for the London-based club and would perhaps even increase their overall standing in the top flight come the end of the 2024/25 season.
Nothing is set in stone yet but it would be a surprise to not see another centre-back enter the London Stadium this summer.
But the focus should be on Chalobah, while it is time to bin the idea of bringing Todibo to the club.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers can make Frank Leboeuf eat his words with a signing this summer.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.