Harry Souttar's defensive dominance could make him one of West Ham's smartest signings

Harry Souttar could be the exact type of player that West Ham need.

Nuno Espirito Santo is on the lookout for leaders who can secure immediate promotion back to the Premier League.

The Australia international has plenty of Championship experience under his belt, with 87 matches in the division.

West Ham Zone have covered reports that the Hammers are favourites for Souttar's signature.

Leicester are understood to want to sell, and will field big offers for the 42-cap star.

His defensive dominance would surely help the Irons to achieve their ambitions in the upcoming season.

What do the stats say about potential West Ham signing Harry Souttar?

The Daily Record claims that Souttar wants to continue playing at a high level, which a move to the London Stadium would allow him to do.

He played just two times for the Foxes in the second tier last season, so that would be unfair to use his data from that campaign.

If we go off his statistics for the 2024-25 season when he was with Sheffield United on loan, it paints an encouraging picture.

He made 21 appearances for the Blades in that season, with 20 starts under his belt.

He completed 85.9 per cent of his passes and averaged 3.41 long passes per 90 minutes, according to Fotmob data.

The 27-year-old averaged 8.51 defensive contributions, including 1.12 tackles, 1.27 interceptions and 2.60 recoveries per game.

Souttar won 69.3 per cent of his duels on the ground and 80.9 per cent of his battles in the air, which shows the level of dominance that the E20 side need.

What will West Ham's defence look like in the Championship

The Irons' backline is likely to consist of Mads Hermansen between sticks.

The Danish goalkeeper has plenty of experience in the second tier, and that will come in handy.

If Aaron Wan-Bissaka remains then he will likely start at right-back, but if not, Kyle Walker-Peters is capable enough.

Malick El Hadji Diouf will probably be the starter on the other flank if not sold, as he was solid in his only top-flight season so far.

Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos' situations are up in the air, so the Hammers may need Souttar to fill in a gap if one of those players depart.

There is plenty of games, so even if they stay, the Leicester man could be a decent pickup.