West Ham United to make late move for Mats Hummels signing after Brighton contact
West Ham could make a late attempt to sign Mats Hummels after Bologna withdrew their offer for the veteran defender, Florian Plettenberg reports.
According to the Sky Sports Germany journalist the Irons are monitoring the 35-year-old centre-back as they consider bringing in another experienced option before the deadline.
The Irons have already signed Max Kilman from Wolves for £40m [Dharmesh Sheth, 5 July] but they could add the Bundesliga legend if he doesn’t retire, with the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich man not yet decided on his future having left the Black and Yellow after the Champions League final this summer.
Plettenberg reported earlier on 6 August that Brighton are also considering the German World Cup-winner, with a phone call already having taken place between Hummels and new Seagulls coach Fabian Hurzeler.
West Ham target could retire after Dortmund exit
On a free transfer it could be an attractive option to bring in Hummels as Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten remodel a back line which conceded an unsustainable amount of goals last term.
Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma are both potential candidates to leave the London Stadium [Sky Sports News, 5 July] due to a combination of form and fitness concerns.
And a Kilman-Hummels partnership would present a new era under the Spanish manager after David Moyes’ departure, unless the manager is particularly high on Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Having already landed one coveted free agent in Guido Rodriguez is would be another coup by Steidten to swoop for another ahead of Brighton and any other interested club.
There would be an element of risk since Hummels’ glittering career has been played entirely in the Bundesliga across two spells each at the Allianz Arena and Signal Iduna Park, and his pace could be exposed in the Premier League if he struggles to adapt.
Not every star veteran of European football can acclimatise to the English top flight at a late stage in their career and for every Thiago Silva there is a Kalidou Koulibaly.
But a six-time German champion does have a draw as short-term option and Steidten might be able to use his experience in the Bundesliga to get a deal done, or lean on the defender’s former Dortmund teammate Niclas Fullkrug to convince him to make the same move.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are still expected to sign another Premier League defender after landing a trio of additions further forward.
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