West Ham stance on Konstantinos Mavropanos revealed after late attempt made to sign him
Konstantinos Mavropanos has become one of West Ham’s most-used defenders under Nuno Espirito Santo.
West Ham lost 3-2 to Chelsea on Saturday despite taking a two-goal lead, and it was their defensive frailties that cost them dearly once again.
The Hammers still haven’t kept a clean sheet under Nuno, and it’s clear that they need significant upgrades in defence.
German side VfL Wolfsburg tried to sign Mavropanos in the closing days of the transfer window, but West Ham view the centre-back as an instrumental player.
West Ham reject Wolfsburg enquiry for Konstantinos Mavropanos
Mavropanos has been criticised for some of his performances this season, and with the Hammers already light at the back, they desperately need him to step up his game.
Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenburg reported on 31 January that Wolfsburg tried to sign Mavropanos during the last week of the winter transfer window.
However, the Hammers refused to let the Greece international leave as they need him for their relegation battle.
His contract runs until 2028, and he has started the last five Premier League games under Nuno.
Jean-Clair Todibo’s red card against Chelsea makes Mavropanos even more important at the back, and he’ll likely start alongside Max Kilman for the next three games.
West Ham tried to sign a centre-back this transfer window and were even competing with Wolfsburg for Charlie Cresswell.
Neither team matched Toulouse’s valuation, and the Hammers are now looking at Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis as an alternative.
Mavropanos has the perfect opportunity to step up for West Ham
In the event that West Ham don’t manage to sign Harwood-Bellis or any other centre-back to E20 before the transfer deadline on 2 February, then Mavropanos will become even more crucial to their survival hopes.
Mavropanos suffered a torn thigh muscle on 20 October and was out of action until the end of November.
The 28-year-old has suffered a total of 15 injuries in his career, and he hasn’t been reliable for a large part of his time at West Ham.
Given the fact that Nuno has made it clear that Mavropanos is not available to other clubs, it’s a great chance for him to prove his worth.
| Stat | Mavropanos |
| Appearances | 17 |
| Ground duels won | 63.7% |
| Aerial duels won | 65.1% |
| Tackles | 18 |
| Interceptions | 22 |
Having joined the Hammers in August 2023, he has made 87 appearances, scoring just once in that time.
A lot more is needed from the entire defence, but in Mavropanos’ case, he can show exactly why he is viewed as a key player in West Ham’s bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
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