West Ham United Keen To Land Lille Defensive Ace: Does The Deal Make Sense?

According to a recent report by Get French Football News, West Ham United are believed to have put Lille right-back Kevin Malcuit on their radar. Apart from the Premier League outfit, various other clubs like Fulham, Inter Milan, Celta Vigo and Valencia are also monitoring him. However, none of the sides have placed a concrete bid for the player.

Fact File

Malcuit emerged through the youth ranks of Racing Club and Monaco. Although he was elevated to their senior side, he couldn’t cement a notable place for himself. While he was in their books, he was loaned out to Vannes. After that, he signed permanently for Frejus Saint-Raphael, Chamois Niortais and Saint-Etienne before signing a five-year deal for Lille last summer.

Attributes

The 26-year-old is a modern-day right-back who has the tendency to join his side’s attacking endeavours. He is capable of plying his trade as a right wing-back as well and his pace enables him to gallop up the pitch with relative ease. Besides, he is a tough tackler and is a clever reader of the game and no wonder so many sides are targeting him.

How Did He Fare Last Season?

Malcuit garnered 23 appearances in Ligue 1 last term, during which he registered 6 assists. He mustered a healthy pass completion rate of 81%. Besides, he made 2.2 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 1.8 clearances and 0.2 blocks per game on an average. He is someone who has certainly proven himself in France’s top flight and is a valuable asset for Lille.

New look West Ham

After his appointment as the manager of the Hammers, Manuel Pellegrini has taken active steps to enhance the quality of his camp. He has already lured Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop, Andriy Yarmolenko, Lukasz Fabianski, Jack Wilshere, Fabian Balbuena and Ryan Fredericks to the London Stadium. The London based outfit do look formidable on paper and it would be intriguing to see how they fare this season.

Is Malcuit Needed?

Although the Frenchman is a quality player, signing him wouldn’t make much sense for West Ham United. The Irons already have Pablo Zabaleta to cater to the needs of the right-back slot. Besides, Fredericks has also been acquired and considering that he had a commendable season with Fulham, he would be craving to make his presence felt in the Premier League. In such a scenario, Malcuit would certainly be surplus to the requirements for Pellegrini’s side.

Statistics Credits: WhoScored