West Ham are reportedly in the market to sign a player who was so bad against us he was subbed after just 30 minutes.
One woeful statistic makes it pretty clear what area of the West Ham team needs urgent attention in the summer transfer window.
The Hammers conceded a whopping 74 goals last season, the most they’ve ever shipped in their Premier League history.
And while defending is a team effort, the back four itself has looked tired, old, slow and error-prone.
West Ham’s transfer budget was revealed this week.
But given the club must make between six to eight signings – and possibly more depending on departures – many feel the quoted figure is not enough.
Hammers make a case for the defence
Hammers fans are worried the club is going to have to make budget signings.
Especially after making a 28-year-old defender who has never played outside of Brazil their first addition of the summer for just £12.5m in the shape of Fabricio Bruno.
Recent reports suggest West Ham want to sign at least two new centre-backs as part of the rebuild.
The likes of Jack Greaves from Hull and Max Kilman – who played under new West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui at Wolves – have been linked with moves to West Ham.
But a new wave of links to central defenders have emerged this week too.
And West Ham are in for player who was so bad against us he was subbed after just 30 minutes.
West Ham target so bad he was subbed after 30mins
This time last year technical director Tim Steidten was said to be targeting a move for Odilon Kossounou – a player he brought in at Bayer Leverkusen.
Centre-back Kossounou is an Ivory Coast international who has played as back-up in Leverkusen’s near all-conquering team this season.
Links to the 23-year-old were welcomed as a better alternative to Harry Maguire last summer.
But opinions this time around may well have changed after what West Ham fans witnessed at the London Stadium last month.
Kossounou started as Leverkusen came to east London defending a 2-0 first leg lead in the Europa League quarter-finals.
West Ham started the game like a house on fire and pressed the life out of Kossounou.
He was the worst player on the pitch, giving the ball away several times, getting a very early booking and then losing Michail Antonio for West Ham’s roof-raising first half goal.
Kossounou could and probably should have been sent off as an exasperated Xabi Alonso watched on from the sidelines.
Costly Kossounou?
The Spaniard was so concerned Kossounou was going to cost his side the tie, he hooked him on just over midway through the first half.
It was embarrassing for Kossounou, who was jeered off by the Hammers fans.
At the weekend Leverkusen played second tier Kaiserslautern in the German cup final. And Kossounou was brought back into the side only to be sent off just before half-time.
Kossounou is a client of favoured West Ham agent Will Salthouse and his Unique Sports Group.
Salthouse is close friends with the eldest son of West Ham majority owner David Sullivan and was reportedly involved in pushing Lopetegui for the Hammers job.
So the fact Steidten signed him previously and he is represented by Salthouse, suggests fresh links being reported may have legs.
Whether he would be a wise signing given he couldn’t live with a 34-year-old Antonio is up for debate.
Some West Ham fans may see it as further evidence the club does not have the money to go after truly top quality signings.
Of course we cannot – and should not – judge a player on one game.
But Kossounou was so bad at the London Stadium it is hard to put that to the back of one’s mind when assessing his potential arrival.
If you need reminding of the defender’s performance that night, check out the video below.
In Steidten – and Lopetegui – we trust?