West Ham Linked With Arthur Masuaku Replacement
West Ham defender Arthur Masuaku is currently sidelined after having surgery, and the club have been linked with a potential replacement.
The DR Congo defender has been out of action since having surgery on a troublesome knee injury earlier in the month. Before the surgery, Arthur Masuaku had been one of West Ham’s most improved players this term. In his absence David Moyes has been unable to play the system he would prefer as Aaron Cresswell cannot play as a left-wing-back.
There was hope that Masuaku would return to action early in the new year. Hammer’s insider ExWHUemployee has suggested that the defender could be on the sidelines for much longer, very much denting that hope.
This news has led the club to start looking for a new left-back in the January transfer window. One name that has emerged is Ranger’s defender Borna Barisic. The Croatian has been having a brilliant season. Barisic has only missed three games this season and has provided an astonishing ten assists in all competitions from the defence. The defender has also chipped in with two goals.
The defender is not just good going forward as he has played his part in Rangers impressive defensive record this season. Barisic has contributed in twelve clean sheets in the Scottish Premier League. The numbers are impressive, though the Scottish League is substantially less challenging than the Premier League.
The last full-back West Ham signed was Vladimir Coufal, who like Barisic is eastern European and coming from a lesser footballing league. Should Barisic adapt like Coufal, then he could prove to be a fantastic signing for the Hammers.
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The price being touted at the moment is a fee of around £8 million. If West Ham were to shell out the fee, it would make Barisic the club’s most expensive full-back in the club’s history. The Hammers could have to compete with West Brom and Leeds for his signature.