West Ham United are to get some business done on deadline day by signing Wout Faes from Leicester City.
The Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri posted on X: "Faes now set to join West Ham United ! Verbal agreement found overnight with Leicester City for the Belgian CB. Faes expected to sign a 3 years deal with WHUFC."
Faes has previously been linked with Fenerbahce this transfer window. He has been with Leicester since 2022, but spent the second half of last season on loan at AS Monaco. The Foxes suffered relegation to League One, but Faes has not featured for them yet this season.
The 28-year-old brings a wealth of experience, including being a key part of the Leicester side that won the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign. He also has 28 caps for Belgium. However, he has not played for his country since a World Cup qualifier last year.
Wout Faes is an experienced defender that West Ham need
It was always going to be difficult for West Ham to sign Axel Disasi permanently after their relegation from the Premier League. The Chelsea centre-back eventually joined Crystal Palace on loan. Jean-Clair Todibo has had no future at West Ham since falling out with Nuno EspĂrito Santo at the end of last season. The French defender is set to join Lens on loan.
Keeping Dinos Mavropanos is excellent for West Ham, as the Hammer of the Year was linked with some top clubs this window. Max Kilman looks to have regained some confidence now that he is playing in the second tier.
With Mavropanos missing against Watford, 18-year-old Airidas Golambeckis had to partner Kilman. The Hammers could only draw 1-1, so they have yet to win a Championship game this season. We are only three games in, but this is a slow start for a side looking to bounce back to the Premier League.
West Ham linked with other defenders
Fabrizio Romano posted a conflicting report about Faes: "West Ham are closing in on Morato deal from Notthingham Forest on initial loan. Nothing advanced so far with Wout Faes, also offered to Parma who have no interest after signing Diego Carlos."
Ideally, the Hammers would want both Faes and Morato. The Forest player is a centre-back, but can also play at left-back. The Hammers need a left-sided defender after letting El Hadji Malick Diouf join Brentford.
Morato is 25 years old and has not played for Forest this season. However, he has played 47 times in total in the Premier League for the club. Twenty-five of these games came under Nuno.
Another full-back West Ham have been linked with is Josha Vagnoman from Stuttgart. He is a right-back, but can also play on the left. He is 25 and has two caps for Germany. He is also being linked with Hull City and Forest. Therefore, it would appear that the Hammers have a slim chance of capturing him when up against these Premier League sides.
The Hammers have also been looking to sign a striker. However, Matteo Moretto posted on X: "Nuremberg has rejected an important offer from West Ham of about 20 million euros, bonuses included, for Mohamed Ali Zoma. Marseille had also inquired about his situation."
Who could still leave West Ham?
It remains to be seen what other incomings or outgoings West Ham might be able to make on deadline day. It is awkward for the Hammers, as they have a game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the same day. Edson Alvarez and Soungoutou Magassa could still leave the club. This would leave the Hammers very light on midfield options.
Letting want-away players go could also be important for the Hammers to do today. Alvarez looks set to join Olympiacos. The transfer window in Greece closes on September 15, so this deal does not have to be done imminently.
Magassa has been linked with multiple clubs across Europe. This includes Marseille, RB Leipzig, Lille, Stuttgart, and Bologna. With the transfer window closing at 11 pm BST in most European countries, it is a race against time to get deals done.
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