West Ham linked with young English left-back Matthew Bondswell
West Ham are reported to be among the teams linked with young English left-back Matthew Bondswell.
The West Ham linked 18-year-old defender came through the ranks at Nottingham Forest, having signed for the Reds academy when he was just eight. In 2018, he signed for RB Leipzig’s U17 side, playing regularly in the U17 Bundesliga, making 23 appearances.
Matthew Bondswell has represented England’s youth teams on a number of occasions too, having pulled on the Three Lions jersey for the U15, U16, U17 and U18 sides. He took part in the U17 Euros in Ireland last year where England were knocked out in the group stages, finishing 3rd.
Their group featured the Netherlands, who would go on to win the tournament, France and Sweden.
Bondswell made the step up to the RB Leipzig U19 team in July last year and went on to make 12 appearances before the season was brought to a premature end due to the pandemic. In August, he joined Dutch second division side FC Dordrecht on loan, who are currently bottom of the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, and has so far made seven appearances in all competitions.
He’s not played throughout November after picking up an injury but was fairly regular in the squad before then. The other English club said to be monitoring his situation closely is Chelsea, according to The Telegraph. The Daily Mail has also reported Sporting Lisbon are interested in Bondswell too.
Bondswell could be seen as a long-term successor to Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku. The two senior players are the clubs only left-back options, but in the team’s current system, they both are playing regularly. Therefore Bondswel potentially becomes an immediate backup should he impress.
Next. What Should West Ham’s January Shopping List Look Like. dark
However for the Hammers, left-back may not be a position they prioritize come January, as centre-back, central midfielder and striker are all areas West Ham may look at first.