West Ham United gem who wowed Declan Rice wanted by Championship clubs
West Ham United ace Kaelan Casey is attracting interest from both Championship and League One clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, according to The Athletic.
The outlet reported on 16 that Casey was being looked at by teams in England’s lower tiers in order to reinforce their defensive lines.
Casey made his Premier League debut against Luton Town at the end of last season and managed to impress during his cameo.
West Ham United should only accept loan offers for Kaelan Casey
The Hammers’ defensive line is arguably the area of their team that needs the most improvement.
The team finished with the fourth-worst defensive record in the top flight last term and still somehow managed to finish in ninth place.
Max Kilman has been brought in from Wolves in order to try and help sure up their defence and hopefully allow fewer goals in.
Despite their evident need for defensive reinforcement, it still feels a bit soon to throw Casey straight into the deep end in the top flight.
The defender is only 19 years old and could likely do with a season or two in the lower tiers to help him adjust his game to a senior standard.
Due to the promise he’s shown in both the academy and during his debut against Luton, the Hammers would be doing themselves a disservice if they allowed the youngster to leave permanently.
He also has the seal of approval from ex-West Ham player Declan Rice, who made it aware that he was wowed with the defender’s performance in the Hammers’ 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal in the FA Youth cup back in April 2023.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are also readying themselves for the transfer of a Serie A centre-back.
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