West Ham United are being linked with a move for Aston Villa defender Kortney Hause. Hause was, in fact, a part of the Hammers’ youth academy before being released by them in 2011.
As per Football Insider, Hause is a target for West Ham United as manager David Moyes’ plans to add more defensive depth to the squad. Hause may be allowed to leave by Aston Villa following the arrival of Axel Tuanzebe from Manchester United.
The 26-year old has just a year remaining on his current deal at Aston Villa. He had moved to the club in 2019 from Wolves for a fee of around £3 million and has since played 46 times for the club in all competitions.
Kortney Hause – A good backup for West Ham United?
Kortney Hause had plenty of opportunities for Aston Villa over the 2019-20 season. However, he played just seven times last season as Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa established themselves as the first-choice central defensive pairing at Villa.
Hause is a strong and towering presence at the back, standing at 6’3″ tall. The Englishman is supreme in the air, winning an average of 5.6 balls per game in the last two Premier League seasons.
The 26-year old has the “safety first” approach while defending, clearing dangerous balls from the box, either with his feet or head. He also likes to play long balls out from the back to initiate attacks. The left-footed defender likes to stay deep, block the ball, and clear anything that comes his way.
West Ham United are looking for a new centre-back following the departure of Fabian Balbuena last season. The Hammers manager currently has Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson as his options at the back. The duo of Ogbonna and Dawson were preferred for the opening game of the season.
Their interest in Hause is surprising as the Villa defender is not better than the options that Moyes currently has. Hause, at best, could be a backup to the three centre-backs, who could be used in Cup games for the Hammers.
West Ham United should make a move for a better quality defender who could go straight into the first team beside Dawson, who is perhaps West Ham’s best centre-back at the moment. Hause’s potential arrival would add more depth to the squad, but not necessarily the quality they need to progress further.
Stats via Whoscored
