West Ham United are among the clubs interested in the services of Liverpool right-back Nathaniel Clyne this summer.
The Hammers are keen to add more quality to their backline, and Clyne has been identified as the ideal candidate.
The English international has struggled to crack the Liverpool first-team in recent years after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s emergence, and the Reds could sell him for a fee of £15 million this summer.
According to Sky Sports, West Ham will compete with Crystal Palace and Bournemouth in an attempt to sign Clyne.
Nathaniel Clyne: Athe right-back West Ham need
West Ham are in desperate need of reinforcements in the right-back position, with Pablo Zabaleta in the final phase of his career.
The Argentine defender will turn 35 at the start of next year, and isn’t the same player he was a few years ago. West Ham also have Ryan Fredericks as another option. The ex-Fulham star has had a mixed debut campaign at the London Stadium, and it goes without saying that the Hammers need to sign an alternative this summer.
Clyne, in that regard, could be an excellent option given his experience in the Premier League. In fact, the right-back has made almost 200 appearances in the English top flight, which could be valuable, especially in a West Ham backline where a majority of the players are relatively new to English football.
In addition, Clyne would offer the much-needed pace and dynamism on the right-flank, which could go hand in hand with Pellegrini’s footballing philosophy, which requires athleticism.
The Liverpool defender can also get to the byline and whip in crosses into the box – something that could suit West Ham’s gameplan, especially with their inverted wingers. That basically means Clyne will have the freedom the make overlapping runs in behind the opposition defence while receiving support from the winger, who is likely to drift to a more central role.
Another key feature in Clyne’s game is that he can rotate possession at a quick rate. This could help the Hammers manoeuvre the ball more efficiently in the final third as well as their build-up phase.
The 28-year-old is an aggressive defender as well, who likes to hurry the opposition ball-carriers. And this is rather evident given the fact that the ex-Southampton star has averaged over two tackles per game this season.
Clyne is a viable target for West Ham, and for a fee of just £15 million, he could turn out to be a shrewd signing for the Hammers this summer.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored