West Ham transfer news: Ex-Arsenal man Konstantinos Mavropanos on Hammers’ radar in centre-back hunt
West Ham are interested in signing former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos as they continue their search for a new centre-back, according to The Sun.
The newspaper reported online (31 July) that West Ham are keeping tabs on the Stuttgart star who left the Premier League permanently last summer to join the Bundesliga side after an initial one-year loan deal.
Following the conclusion of his loan from Arsenal, Stuttgart signed the 25-year-old on a permanent basis. However, he could now be set to once again return to the Premier League.
As well as West Ham, Wolves are also monitoring the Greece international’s situation, with both clubs keen to strengthen their backlines before the season gets underway.
Options
It feels as if David Moyes’ men have been linked with every centre-back and midfielder in Europe this summer without officially announcing any signings.
Supporters will be getting increasingly worried at the depth in the squad with their trip to Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the Premier League season slowly creeping up on them.
If the Hammers are serious about their pursuit of Mavropanos then they will need to act fast to bring the defender to the London Stadium in order to allow him time to adapt before a ball is kicked.
The advantage of signing Mavropanos is that he possesses Premier League experience, which a lot of the club’s other targets do not have, and would be able to adapt more quickly.
Also, considering he is still just 25, there is plenty of time for the player to develop and he is a considerably younger option than the likes of Harry Maguire, who the club were also keen on. Watch this space.
In other West Ham news, the club have identified another defensive target, this time from the Italian league.