West Ham fans will be buzzing already as Igor Julio ranks among Europe’s best in key area
West Ham’s defence has been run ragged for much of this season already.
Graham Potter’s side conceded eight in their opening two Premier League games, but reverted to a back four on Sunday, which saw West Ham beat Nottingham Forest 3-0.
Nayef Aguerd’s departure has benefited West Ham, with the defender part of a poor back line at the London Stadium, but still bringing in £19.9million.
The Moroccan was replaced by Igor Julio, who made the loan switch from Brighton after turning down Crystal Palace and offers key defensive components that Aguerd does not.
Igor Julio in top 1% for blocks in Europe
West Ham missed out on Axel Disasi on transfer deadline day, as he wasn’t convinced of the loan switch from Chelsea.
Supporters were also eager to sign a midfielder and striker, but failed on both fronts as they prioritised a centre back.
West Ham did well to lure Igor out of Crystal Palace’s grasp, though, especially given his key metrics.
The Brazilian made just 16 appearances at Brighton last year but still showed plenty of quality during his two seasons on the south coast.
| Player | Games | Total Blocks | Shots Blocked | Passes blocked |
| Igor | 154 | 160 | 78 | 82 |
| Van Dijk | 427 | 198 | 134 | 64 |
| Marc Guehi | 182 | 204 | 115 | 89 |
Igor ranks among the top one per cent in Europe for blocks, having made 160, just 38 fewer than Virgil Van Dijk, despite the Dutchman playing 275 games more than him.
At 27, he brings plenty of experience, having played in the top-flight leagues of Austria and Italy.
Concerns have been raised about the fact that Igor has only played 37 games across the last two seasons for Brighton, but with less competition, he could slot in well in East London.
Max Kilman could miss out due to Igor Julio
Not only does Igor offer versatility should Potter revert to a back three, but he also offers competition for Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Given the Brazilian’s lack of football, he is unlikely to play straight away, but with a good amount of training over the international break, he could be knocking on the door.
Kilman looked solid against Nottingham Forest, but his record in the two previous Premier League games doesn’t bode well for the defender.
Should the 28-year-old struggle against Tottenham next time out, Igor could be set for an interesting affair against Crystal Palace later in the month.
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