da wazamba： West Ham United could "seal the signing" of a defender for what would be a "bargain fee" in January, according to a report this week.
West Ham transfer plans for January
da premier bet： The Hammers are currently unbeaten over an impressive 17-game streak in Europe, but domestically, their form has been a bit more of a mixed bag. West Ham sealed fantastic results against the likes of high-flying Brighton and big spenders Chelsea earlier this campaign, but a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Aston Villa last weekend perhaps exposed some real issues to resolve.
Uncertainty also surrounds the futures of a fair few squad members as well, with Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Ben Johnson, Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, Conor Coventry, Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski and veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna standing out as the West Ham players out of contract next summer. The likes of Coufal, Antonio and Soucek's deals contain club options to extend, but the latter may still leave West Ham after new deal talks stalled recently (Football Insider).
Meanwhile, Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma could also reportedly depart West Ham amid interest from the Middle East. Manager David Moyes will be eager to replace either one of the defensive duo, while it is believed the likes of Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy (among others) are being targeted to succeed Antonio.
Sebastien Caceres transfer update
Going back to who could potentially come in to reinforce Moyes' defence, there is a suggestion that West Ham could look to an astute option in the winter window. Uruguay defender Sebastien Caceres has been praised for dazzling at international level recently, standing out as a key player in their 2-0 win over Brazil last week.
The 24-year-old, who also been called a "very valuable" player for Club America, may well come as a low-money but quality target. That is according to journalist Pete O'Rourke and Football Insider, who write that West Ham "could seal the signing" of Caceres for a "bargain" fee in January. It is believed that the centre-back could leave for as little as £6-£10 million, despite his growing pedigree.
Caceres' contract is due to expire in 2024 as things stand, a situation which means Club America are very unlikely to demand a marquee fee for one of their star players. However, while West Ham are in the mix, they're by no means the only Premier League club keeping a watchful eye. Indeed, Moyes is joined by Newcastle, Fulham and Tottenham in their admiration of Caceres, and it will be interesting to see which of the English quartet will make a serious move.
Date of birth: August 18, 1999
Hometown: Montevideo, Uruguay
Age: 24
Height: 1.80m
Position: Defender, centre-back
Foot: Right
(via Transfermarkt)
West Ham's chase for a centre-back appeared to have ended with the summer signing of Konstaninos Mavropanos from Stuttgart, but it appears Moyes is eager to add another to his ranks. Man United defender Harry Maguire is another rumoured option for West Ham, with the England international finding life very difficult at Old Trafford right now.