West Ham United transfer bid update as Wolves hand may be forced over Max Kilman
Wolves are now braced for a bid to arrive from West Ham for defender Max Kilman, according to BBC Sport.
The broadcaster reported on their website (18 June) that while they are not looking to sell the centre-back at Molineux they are “realistic” enough to accept that the possibility of the fee reaching £45million could force their hand.
Kilman, 27, has a contract that runs until 2028 in the Midlands and while an offer has not yet been made by the Hammers there is interest in reuniting him with his former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui at the London Stadium.
And as such his current club expect the Irons to turn their interest into a concrete bid to sign him this summer, after a campaign where he played every minute in the Premier League.
West Ham look to reunite Max Kilman with Julen Lopetegui
If the club are thinking of splashing out £45m on Kilman they will need to be sure that he can revitalise a defence which had lost most of the usual David Moyes steel last season.
In Lopetegui they had should have a greater insight than most clubs would and if the Spaniard is driving the pursuit of his former player then it would surely only heighten the chances that a deal becomes a priority when the Hammers were already interested in the Englishman under the previous manager [The Sun, 8 January].
Deals to sell one or both of Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma would help boost the budget for Tim Steidten to push Wolves to let go of Kilman.
The German will still likely need to pick up a second new recruit at the position even then since Angelo Ogbonna has already been allowed to leave after nine years as his contract came to an end.
Luis Guilherme has been secured from Palmeiras at no small effort from the technical director [Fabrizio Romano, 11 June] but there is a lot more to do this summer yet.
A striker has been required for the past 12 months and there is little attacking depth, which could get even lighter if the likes of Maxwel Cornet are allowed to leave [The Athletic, 4 June].
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are putting together another eight-figure bid that will be tabled next week after an “extraordinary” verdict.
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