Julen Lopetegui confirms West Ham United centre-back stance amid Joel Matip links
Julen Lopetegui says West Ham will focus on academy players and forget about the transfer market at centre-back.
The Irons have been linked with signing a free agent defender, with former Sheffield United man John Egan featuring in a behind-closed-doors friendly last week [Sean Whetstone, 5 September], but the manager suggested in his 12 September press conference a signing will not be made.
Although Egan has now joined Burnley and another target, ex-Borussia Dortmund star Mats Hummels, has signed for Roma, former Liverpool regular Joel Matip is still available after talks [Standard, 2 September], but Lopetegui appears to have ruled out a late addition.
He said (17m 10s): “It’s true we lost Aguerd and we didn’t sign anyone as a centre-back. That’s why we have to look towards the academy players too for this position.
“Now don’t talk about the market, be focused on the everyday work and the players that we have in this moment in our squad.”
West Ham played John Egan in friendly before Burnley signing
Having approached the transfer deadline looking like they might end up with a glut of senior centre-backs draining the wage bill the Irons are arguably now one light.
Deals to bring in Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo to replace incumbent starters Aguerd and Kurt Zouma were necessary after the defence became a weakness last season.
The latter pair’s deals probably made it unsustainable to keep either on as a fourth option behind Konstantinos Mavropanos, hence the late push to do a deal in the Middle East for the Frenchman and a late loan to Real Sociedad for the Moroccan.
Tim Steidten conducted a very successful transfer window for the most part, but ideally would have likely preferred to sign a replacement for back-up Angelo Ogbonna after the Italian veteran’s contract expired.
At the same time it was an issue under David Moyes that the Hammers rarely had an obvious pathway from the academy to the first team.
So if Lopetegui is prepared to view youngsters as an option it should provide long-term benefits, assuming there is enough quality being developed at Rush Green.
In other West Ham news, Lopetegui has performed a surprise u-turn to open the door for an exit-linked ace who the club were “desperate” to get rid of.
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