West Ham United hoping to strike a late deal for defensive ace: Much-needed depth?

West Ham United have been linked with a late deadline day move for Chelsea defensive ace Fikayo Tomori, it has emerged.

The Hammers don’t have the necessary depth in the centre-back positions, and are looking to sign Tomori on loan from Chelsea, who perhaps have too many options.

The Blues signed Thiago Silva, and have the likes of Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger competing for a place alongside the Brazilian in the lineup. Tomori, who impressed last season, could see his playing time substantially reduced with so many players in the squad.

The crowded squad means Tomori might move out on loan to keep developing, and as per Evening Standard, West Ham might take advantage of the situation at Chelsea and sign him on loan.

Fikayo Tomori to West Ham – Much-needed depth?

There have been plenty of departures from West Ham so far, but not that many arrivals. David Moyes’ job could get a lot harder when the games come thick and fast towards the end of the year, and defensive resources could become stretched then.

Tomori has done well at Chelsea, but needs to keep playing if he is to progress further. Signing a player on loan to only let him go after helping his development isn’t the ideal situation for a club of West Ham’s size, but considering it is deadline day and almost the whole window has gone after some mismanagement, a loan deal is the best West Ham can agree on.

The 22-year old has shown that he can be a complete defender as he is extremely good with his ability to win the ball and dispossess forwards. Modern-day defenders are expected to bring the ball out from the back considering how much the game has changed, and Tomori is your archetypal modern-day centre-back whose passing is solid.

Last season, Tomori made 15 appearances for Chelsea, and managed 1.9 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the league; impressive numbers for a young defender. He also mustered a healthy 87.4% passing accuracy.

Tomori has already played in the Premier League, and it’s unlikely he will take too long to settle in at West Ham. The Hammers need depth and good players at the back, so they should leave no stone unturned to sign him before the deadline.

Stats via Whoscored