West Ham United set for more Joel Matip talks as Julen Lopetegui keen on defending signing
West Ham are expected to continue talks this week over a deal to sign Joel Matip on a free transfer, The Standard reports.
According to the paper’s website on 2 September Julen Lopetegui is keen to continue adding to the centre of the Hammers defence after seeing both Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma leave on loan.
Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo have been brought in this summer but Angelo Ogbonna also left as his contract expired.
Lopetegui named teenager Kaelan Casey on the bench against Manchester City at the weekend and wants to strengthen his back-up options outside of Konstantinos Mavropanos.
West Ham eye former Liverpool stalwart, John Egan is alternative
Matip is a proven Premier League performer from his time at Anfield with 150 games in the English top flight to his name.
But he is 33 and coming off a serious knee injury last term, so unless he is willing to sign for significantly cheaper it might have been easier to keep one of Zouma or Aguerd.
Former Sheffield United man John Egan is another name in the frame to boost the numbers available to Lopetegui [Dharmesh Sheth, 2 September] but the 31-year-old also spent most of last season out hurt.
There is obviously a reason they are both still available past the end of the transfer window and fitness concerns are surely top of the list.
The Irons showed an interest in German World Cup winner Mats Hummels during the summer [Florian Plettenberg, 6 August] and the former Borussia Dortmund man remains available as well, with Sean Whetstone reporting on 3 September he is becoming a “preferred option”.
At 35 he is the oldest of the three names and doesn’t have any experience outside of the Bundesliga, but did make 40 appearances last term, including starting every game on the way to the Champions League final.
But having loaned out a number of players before the deadline to reduce the wage bill the decision is surely going to depend heavily on money.
In other West Ham news, a club have been left stunned by what’s happened since Deadline Day talks with the Hammers.
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