West Ham United have reportedly entered the race to sign talented Austrian defender Flavius Daniliuc this summer.
According to the Daily Mail, the Hammers are looking to bolster their backline ahead of the new season, and are prepared to make a move for the Nice centre-back.
Daniliuc is being touted as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe. The 20-year-old honed his skills in Real Madrid and Bayern Munich’s academies before joining Nice last year.
His displays under Patrick Vieira caught the attention of several top European clubs, including West Ham and Southampton, who are also interested in the Austria under-21 captain.
Daniliuc made 26 appearances for the French club in all competitions last season and played an important role in their ninth-place finish. He has three years left on his current contract.
Should West Ham United make a move for Flavius Daniliuc?
West Ham United lack numbers in defence. Craig Dawson, Angelo Ogbonna, and Issa Diop are their only senior centre-back options and considering the fact that they will be playing in Europe, David Moyes will definitely need to strengthen that area of his squad this summer.
West Ham’s main priorities are said to be Kurt Zouma and Nikola Maksimovic, but they have made little progressing in sealing a deal for either of the two and have thus turned their attention to Daniliuc.
Daniliuc will be a much cheaper alternative than Zouma and Maksimovic, but a move to the Premier League will be a huge step up for the 20-year-old.
West Ham are looking to compete for a top-six spot once again and it’s hard to see how the inexperienced Daniliuc will be able to help in that regard.
The Austrian is undoubtedly a huge talent; at 1.88m, he is a physical presence at the heart of the defence and can hold his own in aerial duels. He is also a decent ball-winner. Last season, he averaged one tackle, 0.6 interceptions and 1.3 clearances per game and won an average of 0.7 aerial duels. He is also confident in possession and can play out from the back.
But he is far from the finished product and prone to making mistakes under pressure. He will probably need to spend a few more years fine-tuning his game in order to put himself in a position to cope with the pace and physicality of the Premier League.
Ultimately, he is unlikely to add too much to the Hammers’ backline and the London club should prioritize a move for a more experienced defender.
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