Julen Lopetegui drops major hint that West Ham are looking to sign free agent. The transfer window may be closed but West Ham can still sign free agents during the international break and they’re looking. West Ham are widely regarded to have ‘won the transfer window’ by many journalists and pundits.
The arrival of Carlos Soler on loan from PSG means the Hammers have signed nine players as part of the major rebuild for head coach Julen Lopetegui. Many fans have labelled it a 10/10 window. But West Ham could now make it a perfect 10, quite literally.
There was plenty to be encouraged about in West Ham’s 3-1 defeat to Man City on Saturday. On another day the Irons would have secured a deserved draw.
But West Ham’s defending at times was far too weak. That has been an unwelcome feature of the first few games in which Lopetegui’s side has ridden its luck somewhat against Villa, Palace and Bournemouth.
The difference with Man City is that they exposed it brutally as is to be expected. Edson Alvarez finally makes statement that West Ham fans have been desperately waiting to hear
Edson Alvarez finally makes statement that West Ham fans have been desperately waiting to hear
Hammers News Centre-back duo Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd departed.
But Aguerd cost West Ham £20m and time to sign a replacement with his refusal to leave for Saudi in the week leading up to deadline. Lopetegui has publicly stated he wants two senior players fighting for every position.
Lopetegui drops major hint West Ham want to sign free agent
But despite a fantastic window, the Hammers have been left with just three senior central defenders. And on the evidence so far that may leave West Ham a little short. West Ham have Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos as their centre-back options.
There will also be times, by the manager’s own admission, that the team lines up with three at the back. That will leave the club exposed with no back-up beyond youth or using Edson Alvarez there as an emergency option.
Fortunately the Hammers can still do something to address that issue over the international break.
And Lopetegui has dropped a major hint that West Ham are looking to sign a free agent.
West Ham have until September 14th – the day they play Fulham away in their next game after the two-week international break – to register their final squad with the Premier League for the first half of the season. There are a host of quality players across Europe currently out of contract, many of them defenders.
Lopetegui admitted some of his side’s defending must improve. And West Ham’s head coach has made it clear he is thinking about the free agent market.
Hammers have international break to make it a perfect 10. “When I analyse the goal, that two for sure are actions that we could do better,” Lopetegui told the club’s website after City.
“We conceded these actions and their kind of players don’t forgive. We have to improve in these things, for sure…
“The window is closed and you can now only sign free players right now,” Lopetegui added.
“And OK, we have to focus on the players who we have in the squad (but) we now lose a lot of players who go with their national teams and we are crossing our fingers that they come back healthy. “We will keep working and start thinking about the next challenge.”
So who is out there that West Ham could look to sign? Yesterday Hammers News highlighted some of the quality free agents still available to West Ham.
