West Ham United surrendered a one-goal advantage against Manchester United in the Premier League last night. Benjamin Sesko's equalizer in the 1-1 draw cost the Hammers valuable points in their fight to stay in the division.
Questions will be asked about Axel Disasi not being tight enough on Sesko when he scored. The central defence is of huge concern to West Ham. Dinos Mavropanos has been very good this season. However, Max Kilman has been out of form. Disasi was a desperate loan signing from Chelsea at the end of the January transfer window. Jean-Clair Todibo is currently suspended following his red card against the Blues.
Harry Maguire has been a long-term target for West Ham. There was talk that he could join the Hammers at the end of the season when his contract at United expired. However, recent reports have hinted that he is set to extend his stay at Old Trafford.
Much of West Ham's recruitment will depend on whether they stay in the Premier League or not. They are currently two points off of Nottingham Forest, who occupy the place above the relegation zone. However, Forest will likely extend the points gap between them and the Hammers when they play Wolverhampton Wanderers - who sit at the foot of the table - tonight.
Where have the Antonio Rudiger links come from?
Former Chelsea player Antonio Rudiger, who now plays for Real Madrid, reportedly wants to return to England. TEAMtalk has revealed that "Intermediaries have already made Tottenham, Crystal Palace and West Ham United aware that the defender could be open to returning to London, with the trio informed of the conditions required to complete a free‑transfer move."
Due to injuries, Rudiger has made just seven La Liga appearances this season. He is now 32, and his contract with Los Blancos expires at the end of the season.
Another player who could become a free agent this summer is Lorenzo Pellegrini of AS Roma. According to the transfer expert, Nicolo Schira, "Pellegrini remains fully focused on AS Roma: his priority is to extend the contract and he opened the door to a cut salary. If they don’t reach an agreement, Pellegrini will become a free agent and has already received some approaches by Napoli, Inter (Milan) and West Ham."
Rudiger and Pellegrini are both big-name players who would demand Premier League soccer. Therefore, if the Hammers are to be in with a chance of signing either, then they will need to avoid relegation to the Championship.