West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui appears to be on the verge of securing a stunning double deal.
Julen Lopetegui will undoubtedly be prioritising the additions of a couple of top-class central defenders for West Ham this month.
The Spaniard needs to make a big upgrade on Kurt Zouma, whilst Nayef Aguerd is being heavily linked with the London Stadium exit door (The Express).
Lopetegui has a transfer budget of around £90 million to play with this summer, not including any player sales.
If the Hammers boss is able to sell the likes of Zouma, Aguerd and a few others, he should have plenty of cash at his disposal.
Two centre-backs in particular are being linked with a move to the London Stadium, and whilst they won’t be cheap, they would both be great signings for us.
Lopetegui bringing the two centre-backs in question to the London Stadium would be a dream for West Ham this summer…
Julen Lopetegui eyeing two centre-back signings for West Ham
The 57-year-old Hammers boss is clearly well aware of the size of the task lying ahead of him at the London Stadium.
West Ham conceded 74 Premier League goals last season – a tally worsened by only the three relegated teams.
Lopetegui obviously has to coach his team to defend better, but the additions of one or two elite centre-backs is clearly needed as well.
West Ham have been linked with numerous centre-backs already this summer, but there are two stand out candidates in my opinion.
It’s no surprise that the former Wolves boss is said to be prioritising strengthening his central defensive ranks at the London Stadium this summer.
West Ham were woefully inept in that department last season, and our defending was the main reason why David Moyes was moved on in the end.
If Lopetegui is to get the Hammers back into Europe, he has to build solid foundations starting at the back.
And two players in particular could be set to turn West Ham from mid-table also rans into genuine challengers for the top six.
Elite centre-back pairing en route to West Ham?
Max Kilman of Wolves is believed to be a key transfer target for the Hammers this summer.
The 27-year-old is an elite centre-back and would be a huge upgrade on Zouma. He’s strong in the air and incredibly physical.
In 37 Premier League appearances for Wolves last season, Kilman averaged 1.3 tackles, one interception, 4.8 clearances and 2.6 successful aerial duels.
He made 60.3 passes per game and recorded a completion rate of 86% (Who Scored).
Kilman will cost at least £40-45 million though, so he certainly won’t come cheap. That said, he’d help alleviate the current West Ham team to another level entirely.
Then we come to Riccardo Calafiori, who is firmly on the Hammers’ radar according to the Athletic’s David Ornstein.
The 22-year-old is a left-footed centre-back, and he can also operate as a left-back if need be.
He is exceptional when in possession of the football, and is a typical Italian defender in the sense that he’s aggressive, tenacious and reads the game with aplomb.
Having Calafiori lined up alongside Kilman in the heart of our defence would be the dream for next season.
Hopefully Julen Lopetegui manages to bring the two players to West Ham this summer.
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