Defender who impressed at the Euros could be on his way to West Ham this Summer. Although football has completely changed from even 15 years ago, there’s still a special place in the game, and in everyone’s hearts, for an old school central defender. For a while, Craig Dawson was one of West Ham’s most important players and their defensive issues over the past couple of seasons can probably be put down to them failing to replace him.
Fortunately, not only have West Ham shown interest in signing the perfect successor to the Englishman, but he’s also a young player who has the potential to be world-class.
Riccardo Calafiori isn’t a name that many would’ve heard of before the Euros started, but if you follow Italian football you know just how brilliant he is. He’s really the future of Italy’s centre-backs, a position of which they’ve consistently had filled with the best of the best. Over the past season, he’s been instrumental to Bologna achieving Champions League football for the first time in their history and he might be moving on after his impressive campaign.
According to The Guardian, the Hammers could look to sign the 22-year-old instead of Max Kilman as they are reluctant to meet Wolves’ price tag. Reports suggest that the Italian could be available for just £35 million which is right in the region that the club were willing to pay for Kilman.
Signing such a highly rated player would be a real statement signing from our Irons and Califiori would certainly patch up our leaky defence. He will definitely be subject to interest from other clubs so it won’t be an easy deal to get over the line but, if we do, fans will have every reason to be excited about what’s to come next season.
