West Ham United are reportedly keen on signing Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly in the January transfer window.
The Hammers have suffered injuries to key players in defence, with Angelo Ogbonna already ruled out for the season with an ACL injury while Kurt Zouma set to be unavailable for the next few weeks with a hamstring problem. The injury absences of Ogbonna and Zouma led to David Moyes’ side going off the boil in December before bouncing back with consecutive wins against Watford and Crystal Palace.
According to The Telegraph, West Ham are tracking Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly ahead of a potential swoop next month. The versatile defender captains in Steve Cook’s absence and his leadership skills have been one of the reasons why David Moyes has shown an interest in the player, the report adds.
Lloyd Kelly, 23, has played a crucial role in Bournemouth’s push towards achieving automatic promotion back to the English top-flight. He has made 19 appearances, scoring a goal as the Cherries sit second in the Championship table.
Lloyd Kelly to West Ham—A strong defensive option?
Despite their blip late last year, West Ham firmly remain in the hunt for a top-four finish. Injuries to Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna coupled with Aaron Creswell’s fitness problems has only left David Moyes with Craig Dawson and Issa Diop as the club’s recognised centre-backs.
Also, with the Hammers having made it to the Europa League Round of 32, reinforcing the backline stands as an absolute priority heading into the winter window for Moyes. The Scotsman is interested in signing Lloyd Kelly, who has had a good season with Bournemouth so far.
A left-back by trade, Lloyd Kelly is equally adept at playing on the left of a back three. The 23-year-old is a quick, strong and agile player whose stamina levels and tenacity allow him to cover a lot of ground throughout a game. The former England Under-21 international likes to deliver crosses into the box from the left but is also comfortable playing short passes in and around the box before making overlapping runs.
It is probably fair to say that West Ham have struggled with a lack of depth in the centre-back and full-back department, thus, adding a young player with exciting qualities like Kelly would be a sensible move in the mid-season trading period.
However, thrashing out a deal for the 23-year-old versatile defender could be particularly difficult for the Hammers due to Bournemouth’s high chances of achieving promotion to the Premier League.