West Ham United have shown plenty of ambition in the transfer market this summer, and supporters will be pleased with the recent incomings, but pre-season results have left plenty to be desired under new boss Julen Lopetegui.
David Moyes' departure at the end of the 2023/24 campaign left none poleaxed; the time was right after an initially promising season finished with a whimper. His Spanish successor also brings a more fluid and positive style of football to the London Stadium, but there's a glaring issue still in need of redress.
04/08/2024
Crystal Palace
3-1 loss
28/07/2024
Wolves
3-1 loss
20/07/2024
Dag & Red
1-0 win
15/07/2024
Ferencvaros
2-2 draw
Despite signing Max Kilman from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £40m, the Hammers are left wanting in defence. Deals are being concluded for striker Niclas Fullkrug and experienced midfielder Guido Rodriguez after the exciting deal for Crysencio Summerville, but Lopetegui clearly needs another centre-half.
West Ham transfer news
As per FC Inter News, Yann Bisseck is a transfer target for West Ham heading into the build-up for the 2024/25 season, with the 23-year-old valued at about €25m (£21m) by Serie A champions Inter Milan and the subject of an approach from the Irons.
Inter do not want to sell the talented defender but he is hoping to start more often this term and United technical director Tim Steidten might hope to present an interesting package that promises a role of greater significance.
What Yann Bisseck would bring to West Ham
Kilman has been the only addition to the frontline so far but West Ham are certainly not sat twiddling thumbs, feet up. Efforts have been made to sign the likes of Jean-Clair Todibo, who is holding out for Juventus.
And, moreover, West Ham are still hoping to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Manchester United, with the tough-tackling right-back ready to move to east London if the Red Devils complete the transfer of Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich.
Wan-Bissaka was described as the "best one-on-one full-back in the world" by pundit Jamie Carragher back in 2020 and has won 61.5% of his ground duels across the entirety of his Premier League career at Old Trafford.
It's the kind of steel that would be perfect for an up-and-coming titan like Bisseck, who was hailed as a "diamond" in defence by journalist Antonio Mango last season but would need stable conditions at West Ham to deal with the rigours of English football.
The German U21 international, who left Danish side Aarhus Gymnastikforening to join the Nerazzurri for just €7m (£6m) plus bonuses last summer, only played 21 times last season but bagged two goals and placed two assists, growing in stature after earning only eight Serie A minutes prior to December.
With just nine starting appearances in the top flight, it would be easy to question whether the right-footed defender has done enough, but the sturdy signs of future success have taken root and he has done more than enough to showcase his skills, winning 61% of his ground duels and keeping six clean sheets.
His robust athletic quality suggests he would be tailor-made for Premier League football; as per FBref, the 6 foot 2 star ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 5% for shot-creating actions (all per 90) and the top 7% for pass completion, with a success rate of 92%.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent's goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
He's got the mark of something special, and with another dynamic option in Kilman beside him, Lopetegui could craft the kind of progressive, modern-catered backline to supercharge his system.
But solidity is paramount too – something that has not been on show over the past several weeks. Bisseck has proved his mettle in defensive situations and alongside Wan-Bissaka, could prove to be a real beast.
It won't be easy, as Inter do not want to sell, but West Ham need to get the deal done ahead of an exciting new phase for a club that has proven its calibre over the past several years.
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