Some West Ham fans have very short memories after John Egan free transfer backlash. John Egan is a transfer target for West Ham United, after he was released from Sheffield United.
Free agent John Egan is ‘being looked at’ by the Hammers right now, although no final decision on the centre-back has been made as yet.
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui enjoyed a magnificent summer transfer window, with nine brilliant new players arriving at the London Stadium. However, one disappointment was the fact that the West Ham head coach failed to bring in another centre-back on deadline day, especially after Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd were moved on.
As a result, the Spaniard has left himself very short in the central defensive department, but he has a plan up his sleeve to change that. Egan is apparently the man Lopetegui is closing in on, but the majority of Hammers fans are fuming about the links.
There have been cries of ‘why not Mats Hummels or Joel Matip?’ However, the Hammers fans against the potential arrival of Egan must have very short memories…
John Egan West Ham bound
If the Irishman does move to the London Stadium, I think it will be a smart piece of business from the Hammers.
If the 31-year-old is signed though, some West Ham fans need to forget their preconceived notions that he is not good enough. He has played over 400 senior games at club level and is an Ireland international team regular. Egan is a more than capable central defender, and has extensive experience of playing at a very high level over the past decade.
He is actually decent with the ball at his feet as well, and he certainly doesn’t get enough credit for the ability he possesses. The 31-year-old is no world-beater, but he’s not as bad as some people are making out. Hammers fans don’t need to look back too far for an example of a very similar signing…
Anyone remember Craig Dawson?
West Ham fans must remember Craig Dawson impact
West Ham sold Craig Dawson to Wolves in January 2023 for around £3.3 million, after he asked to be granted a move to a club closer to his family home in the north of England. He originally joined the Hammers on a season-long loan from Watford in October 2020.
West Ham then made his move to the London Stadium a permanent one for a further £3 million in the summer of 2021 (The Sun).And what a signing he proved to be for us. During his time with the Hammers, he was actually our best centre-back – certainly the most reliable.
It really hurt when the now 34-year-old left the London Stadium, but we could replicate what he offered us by signing John Egan.Egan actually possesses a lot of similar attributes to Dawson – he’s very aggressive in the tackle, plays with 100% commitment to the cause and is extremely reliable.
At the end of the day, the former Sheffield United defender will not be a regular starter.
In fact, he will only play if there is a severe injury crisis at the London Stadium or if Lopetegui wants to rest two of our key defenders at the same time. John Egan is more than capable of providing solid cover for the current West Ham defenders for the rest of the season.
You don’t get 36 international caps for Ireland if you’re not very good, it really is as simple as that.
He is a very solid performer, and I’m not against us signing him on a free transfer at all.
