West Ham United have stepped up their pursuit of Udinese defender Jens Stryger Larsen and are reportedly lining up a £4.2million bid for the Denmark international this summer.
West Ham manager David Moyes is looking to bolster his defence ahead of the new season and has identified Stryger Larsen as the perfect option, according to Football London.
The 30-year-old Danish full-back has attracted the attention of several top European clubs following his impressive displays for Udinese the past few seasons.
Stryger Larsen has made 140 appearances for Udinese in all competitions since joining the club from Austria Wien in 2017. He also featured in all six of Denmark’s Euro 2020 games, primarily as a right winger.
Stryger Larsen has just one year left on his current contract with Udinese.
Stryger Larsen: A shrewd move by West Ham?
David Moyes is keen to add fresh faces to his squad as they look forward to competing in Europe this coming season. Thus, a move for an experienced international player, who can play multiple positions makes sense.
Versatility is inarguably one of Stryger Larsen’s biggest assets. The 30-year-old is primarily deployed as a right back but he is also comfortable playing further up front as a right midfielder or even on the left. He also offers decent cover at centre-back.
Like most modern-day full-backs, Stryger Larsen enjoys bombing up the field and linking up with the attack. He has the ability to deliver dangerous crosses for his strikers to attack. Last season, he averaged 32.5 passes, 1.4 long balls and 0.4 dribbles per game. He also completed over 80% of his pass attempts.
Despite being 30, he still has plenty of energy and speed left in his legs. He is not the strongest tackler, but he is a good reader of the game; he averaged 0.7 interceptions and 1.5 clearances last season.
At West Ham, he is unlikely to be the starting right-back, with Vladimir Coufal having cemented his spot with a series of world-class displays last season. But the Dane could provide competition to Ryan Fredericks as West Ham’s second-choice right back. He could also be called upon for other positions whenever injuries strike. Given the amount of games the Hammers will have to play, adding such shrewd options seems to be a smart ploy by Moyes.
Given the fact that he is already 30, Stryger Larsen is certainly not a long-term option. But he could be a valuable addition to West Ham for the next couple of seasons at the very least.