West Ham have been linked with a number of a free agent centre-backs including John Egan before the Premier League deadline.
West Ham made nine signings during the summer transfer window and could make it 10 in the next week.
Julen Lopetegui has made it clear he wants two senior players in every position at West Ham.
At present, though, the Hammers have just three senior centre-backs following the departures of Angelo Ogbonna, Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd.
After the defeat to Man City at the weekend, Lopetegui confirmed West Ham are looking at the free agent market.
Ex Liverpool defender Joel Matip, former Atletico star Mario Hermoso, World Cup winner Mats Hummels and Irishman John Egan have all been linked as possible free transfer arrivals.
West Ham have until the Premier League final squad deadline on September 14th to bring someone in.
West Ham respond to Egan deal claim
But Hermoso and Hummels are joining Roma.
That saw focus shift to Matip and Egan, who was released by Sheffield United after six years this summer.
The 31-year-old Republic of Ireland international joined the Blades from Brentford for £4m in 2018 and twice helped them win promotion to the Premier League.
He made a total of 208 league appearances but had not featured since suffering a season-ending Achilles injury – rather ironically at West Ham – last September.
“The memories we have made will live with me forever,” Egan said in a statement on social media.
ExWHUemployee told The West Ham Way today that Egan is ‘edging closer’ to joining the club.
And he could even feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Dagenham and Redbridge on Thursday.
The move has divided opinion among Hammers fans given the links to far superior players such as Hummels and Matip.
‘No decision yet’ say West Ham as fans question move
Many Hammers fans also feel it would be better to give a young academy defender like Kaelan Casey the chance to be fourth-choice centre-back instead.
Now West Ham have responded to the Egan deal claim as a friendly appearance is lined up.
Hammers News reached out to the top spokesman at the club about the move for Egan.
And it has been confirmed he is indeed very much being considered by West Ham.
The Hammers have stressed that no decision has been made yet, though.
“We’re having a look at him,” the top spokesman inside West Ham told Hammers News.
“No decision made.”
Egan concerns understandable but he is homegrown and a leader
The reservations of West Ham fans about Egan are understandable.
Especially coming off the back of a year out with a serious injury.
But he hasn’t been a complete flop in the Premier League.
It was Egan’s consistent performances which build the foundation for Sheffield United to achieve a ninth-place finish in the 2019-2020 season, defying all expectations in the process.
Egan has become known for his defensive resilience, leadership and a knack for scoring crucial goals. He also represents the Republic of Ireland at the international level, earning his first senior cap in 2017 and establishing himself as a key player in the national team’s defence.
Key to this deal is also the fact Egan counts as a homegrown player.
Particularly if West Ham bringing him in on relatively low wages enables the club to offload high-earning Danny Ings come January.
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