West Ham United eyeing a move for versatile Turkish fullback: A smart choice by Pellegrini

West Ham United have been quite busy in the transfer market since the end of the Premier League campaign. The Hammers have sold Lucas Pérez and Edimilson Fernandes, while Adrian, Andy Carroll and Samir Nasir are set to leave the club with their contracts expiring on June 30, 2019.

The London club are now linked with Fenerbahce’s Hasan Ali Kaldirim, who is the captain of the Turkish side, as per BBC Sport. The report states that he is interested in a move to the Premier League and that West Ham have contacted Kaldirim’s agent.

Kaldirim, who is a left wing-back, has a release clause of €5 million in his current contract, which expires in a year’s time. The German-born Turkish international can play as a full-back, wing-back or as a left-sided midfielder. The 29-year-old played for Kaiserslautern and Mainz’s reserve teams, before moving to Turkey and Kayserispor, where he became an important player. He moved to Fenerbahçe in 2012 and has gone on to become a key player for the side.

Kaldirim has also represented the Turkish national team 30 times since making his debut in 2012.

What will he offer Pellegrini?

Kaldirim is a wing-back who likes to get forward and put in accurate crosses into the box. While he may not be blessed with electric pace, Kaldirim gets into good positions and is a player who has a good command over the ball.

The full-back stays wide, and puts in early crosses for the forwards to attack, while he is also a steady hand in defence. His versatility can also come in handy as Pellegrini does not have an abundance of resources on the left flank.

The experienced full-back has played over 200 times for Fenerbahçe, and in the recently concluded season, he made 39 appearances for the side, scoring 3 times and provided 4 assists.

Arthur Masuaku cemented the left-back position with some strong performances in the latter half of the season, usurping Aaron Cresswell, who was the Hammers’ nailed on left-back prior to last season but suffered an injury-afflicted campaign. Cresswell is rumoured to be on the transfer market which could explain why West Ham are linked with a move for Kaldirim, who could be Cresswell’s replacement in the squad and also provide competition to the injury-prone duo if they remain at the club next season.

Kaldirim could be a useful bargain signing for the Hammers, adding experience and quality to the side.