West Ham United have reportedly stepped up their interest in Nottingham Forest centre-back Joe Worrall.
According to the Sun, the Hammers are keen on signing at least two centre-halves in the summer window and have zoned in on Worrall following his impressive displays in the Championship.
The 25-year-old honed his game in Forest’s academy before making his senior debut in 2016 following a loan spell at Dagenham & Redbridge.
He has since established himself as a key member of the Championship side, making 168 appearances in all competitions. He’s been instrumental in their playoff push this season, as well as their run to the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Joe Worrall has just two years left on his current contract and would reportedly command a fee of around £15m.
Joe Worrall: Should West Ham make a move?
West Ham have a good track record when it comes to snapping up talent from the Championship. Their recent acquisitions include Jarrod Bowen from Hull City and Said Benrahma from Brentford. Both players have established themselves in the first team.
It’s evident that the Hammers can spot talent and Worrall certainly fits the profile of player they would be intent to sign.
David Moyes is looking to ship out Issa Diop, who has struggled to cement his spot in the side, and Joe Worrall could be the ideal replacement.
The 1.90m defender is a great tackler and excels in one v one situations and last-ditch blocks. The 25-year-old is also comfortable in possession and plays an integral role in building attacks from the back.
This season, Worrall is averaging 3.4 clearances, 2 interceptions and 1.8 tackles per game in the league. He’s also completing around 55 passes and nearly five long balls per 90 minutes.
He’s clearly ready to make the move to the top-flight and joining West Ham would allow him to further develop his game under a top manager like David Moyes.
At 25, Joe Worrall is yet to hit his prime and could prove to be a smart long-term acquisition for the Hammers who are in dire need for quality depth in crucial areas of the squad.
The Hammers, after another strong start to the season, are finding it difficult to continue the momentum during the all important second-phase of the campaign. They are lacking quality backup for most of their regular first choice starters and that is an area where improvement has been found hard to come by for the management.
This summer needs to see this aspect of the club change if the Hammers are to make any significant progress beyond strong starts to seasons.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored