West Ham United want to sign Leeds United defender Cody Drameh – The Athletic
West Ham United are interested in signing Leeds defender Cody Drameh for their right-back position, reports The Athletic.
Writing on their official website (24 August), the news outlet report that the England Under-21 international is wanted by several clubs in the Premier League and Championship as his Leeds contract is in its final 12 months.
However the player is open to staying at Elland Road if he will play regularly, but West Ham are among the clubs keeping an eye on his situation heading into the final week of the window.
“There are Premier League clubs with a speculative eye on him — Brentford, West Ham United and Crystal Palace — and one of his biggest admirers is Southampton manager Russell Martin, who tried to sign Drameh in his previous job at Swansea City,” he wrote.
“Southampton are only likely to be in the market for a right-back if Kyle Walker-Peters moves before next week’s deadline, but Martin’s high opinion of Drameh is a fairly open secret.
“All the indications given to Drameh by Leeds at the very start of this summer were that he would be in their plans this season, a footballer they rated and would be happy to use.
“He is waiting to see if that chance materialises, knowing that if game time doesn’t come his way, there are clubs out there who will offer him more.”
Talented
West Ham have got plenty of options at full-back right now, but it would be smart of the club to start looking toward the future when you look at the bigger picture.
Vladimir Coufal is in his 30’s now, while Thilo Kehrer is said to be a target for Bayern Munich and Ben Johnson’s contract situation means he is likely to leave within the next 12 months either with someone signing him or when his deal expires.
That would then leave the club short on options, and Drameh is likely to emerge as a target should either of those latter two scenarios happen in the final week of the window.
Leeds know that they can’t keep him forever if they don’t play him, and the player has proven that he is capable of being first-choice for a side pushing for promotion meaning he could likely step up into the Premier League at this point.
Right now he’s behind Luke Ayling in the pecking order and Leeds boss Farke has tried to sign a new full-back all summer, so this is certainly one to keep an eye on.
In other West Ham news, Euro giants want to sign Hammers ace amid £27m development.