West Ham submit club-record offer for Natan as Real Betis respond to bid
West Ham’s defensive crisis has turned their attention to Real Betis’ Natan.
Despite going 2-0 up, West Ham suffered a 3-2 defeat against Chelsea at the weekend, and their drop off can be put down to several things, but none more so than their own inability to defend a lead.
The Irons have the worst defensive record in the Premier League this season, and that is only likely to get worse after Jean-Clair Todibo received a red card for violent conduct.
It leaves the Hammers even more desperate for a new centre-back before Monday’s deadline, with interest in Natan now emerging.
West Ham submit loan-to-buy proposal for Natan
Axel Disasi has also been linked with West Ham, showcasing the fact that the Hammers are well aware of the need for a new centre-back to arrive within the next 30 hours.
However, with that deal seemingly failing to progress as of right now, the Irons have turned their attention to Natan, according to a report from Fichajes.
It states that West Ham have made an offer to loan Natan until the end of the campaign, with an obligation to buy at the end of it.
The Hammers would pay an initial £3million for his loan, and then a further £3m to make it a permanent deal.
That would have made Natan their club-record sale, surpassing the exit of Giovani Lo Celso to Tottenham, though Real Betis have rejected the offer “emphatically”.
It remains to be seen if an improved offer is made.
Which other centre-backs have West Ham been linked with?
While a deal may have somewhat stalled, Disasi still looks like the most likely arrival for West Ham.
The Irons want a loan, and Chelsea want a permanent exit for the Frenchman, but negotiations are still ongoing.
Elsewhere, John Egan has been linked with a move to the London Stadium, as well as former Leeds defender Charlie Cresswell.
However, as things stand, neither of those deals look likely ahead of the transfer deadline at 7pm on Monday night.
If West Ham are to avoid relegation, they will have to make significant progress for one of the above deals, given how poor they have been defensively under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Stay up to date this winter with our West Ham transfer tracker. Click to see every done deal at the London Stadium, plus expert reaction from our team of writers.