West Ham make approach to sign England Under-21 Euros winner with ‘incredible potential’
West Ham are in the market for defensive reinforcements.
Taty Castellanos and Pablo have made their moves to the London Stadium to bolster the Irons’ forward line, but the defensive options have largely been neglected.
That is despite the fact that West Ham has the worst defensive record in the Premier League under Nuno Espirito Santo.
The expectation is that the Hammers will address those concerns in due course, with news of an appointment for someone who will be able to aid those efforts.
West Ham want to sign ex-Arsenal defender
The struggles of Max Kilman in particular have highlighted the need for West Ham to sign a new centre-back this window, though that is not what is being targeted amid the latest links.
Instead, Give Me Sport have reported that West Ham have made an approach to sign right-back Brooke Norton-Cuffy, who has been thriving in Italy with Genoa.
Previously managed by Patrick Vieira, the 22-year-old has had immense praise over the last 12 months as a result of his development, with his defensive side of the game improving significantly.
Norton-Cuffy won the Under-21 Euros with England last year, for whom he has made 14 appearances dating back to 2023.
Genoa are said to be willing to sanction his exit for a fee in the region of £17.3million in January, with several other clubs also interested from around Europe.
What has been said about Brooke Norton-Cuffy?
His name may ring a bell, and that is because the 22-year-old has spent several seasons in English football, predominantly on loan in the EFL.
After rising through Arsenal’s academy, Norton-Cuffy spent time on loan at Rotherham United before having spells at Coventry City and Millwall.
However, it was his move to Italy after his time at The Den that put his name on the block for the first time in his career, and he earned plenty of praise as a result.
The Englishman is now thriving under Daniele De Rossi, who claims the defender has “incredible unexplored potential,” as quoted by Football Italia.
If a move to West Ham United were to materialise, he would be competing with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Kyle Walker-Peters for a starting spot on the right side of Nuno’s defence.
One to keep an eye on as we approach the latter stages of the January transfer window.
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