West Ham United not in race to sign Serie A defender Koni de Winter in January
West Ham have been recently linked with a move for Belgium defender Koni de Winter, but there’s “nothing” in it, as reported by Football.London.
Corriere dello Sport reported (26 November, page 24) that the defender is being chased by as many as five Premier League clubs including the Hammers and Southampton.
The 20-year-old is currently playing at Serie A club Empoli, on loan from Juventus, and CDS reported that any potential suitor will have to pay £10.3m to secure his signature.
Winter has made eight appearances in the Series A side so far, and he gives the impression of a teen sensation, who has got loads of talent.
While the Italian media keep on linking the player with a move to the Premier League, it appears that the Hammers have no interest in him at the moment.
Defence
The injury to Kurt Zouma could change David Moyes’s transfer plans completely.
The Hammers already have three right-backs in Thilo Kehrer, Ben Johnson and Vladimir Coufal, while Maxwell Cornet can also play there if needed.
So, even if Kehrer is shifted to centre-back role, the Hammers will have enough options in right-back areas.
The situation of Coufal is interesting. He has a contract at the club until 2024, but there is an air of uncertainty around his future.
If Coufal leaves the club, the Hammers could look at options elsewhere, and the young Juventus defender could come into consideration.
It is unclear how long Zouma will be absent, and if the Frenchman misses a large part of the rest of the season, one could expect Moyes to bring someone on board, even if on loan.
Craig Dawson wants to stay close to his family and he could be allowed to leave, while Angelo Ogbonna has managed less than 30 minutes of Premier League football so far.
So, it’s a tricky situation for Moyes and West Ham could sign a defender in January.