West Ham United have now made contact to sign a former Bayern Munich player, as an alternative to Toulouse star Charlie Cresswell.
The Hammers set to sign a new central defender
West Ham have been very poor from a defensive point of view this season, having failed to keep a clean sheet since the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in late August, and their current centre-backs have come under heavy criticism.
Former scout Mick Brown said: “The options they have right now, Kilman, Todibo, Mavropanos, none of them are good enough and they’re all way too error prone.
“If Mavropanos’ injury is serious and he has to be out for a while, it might have become more important that they go and get someone else.”
The Irons have identified a number of potential targets in central defense, including RB Leipzig’s El Chadaille Bitshiabu and AS Monaco’s Eric Dier, and it has been revealed that Nuno is personally interested in a deal for the England defender.
Toulouse defender Cresswell is also of interest, but a new report from TEAMtalk has revealed that the Hammers are struggling to get a deal done for the Englishman over the line, and alternative targets are now being identified.
Braga’s Bright Arrey-Mbi is among the options, with West Ham recently making contact to carry out checks on the 22-year-old, whose previous clubs include Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
Four or five targets are on the shortlist, with Nuno & co clearly very keen to improve the defense this month, and Cresswell is the first-choice option, although it is unclear whether a deal for the 23-year-old will be possible.
Arrey-Mbi has been a target since the summer transfer window, and there are indications he could be a solid addition to Nuno’s backline…
‘Beast’ Arrey-Mbi could be a solid alternative to Cresswell
The 17-time Germany U21 international has only made one appearance for Bayern Munich’s first team, but he has done enough to impress his former teammate Joshua Kimmich, who said: “Bright is already a beast. You can see he uses every muscle in his body. It surprised me in training that he’s not shy at all. He really throws himself into challenges and has a certain calmness with the ball.”
The defender has since established himself as an important player for Braga, making 27 appearances in all competitions this season, and he caught the eye in the Europa League, putting in a strong performance in a 2-0 win over Red Star Belgrade.
|
Bright Arrey-Mbi’s stats against Red Star Belgrade |
Number completed |
|
Duels (won) |
5 (4) |
|
Precise passes |
47/53 (89%) |
|
Clearances |
2 |
|
Tackles won |
3 |
Having gained plenty of first-team experience and impressed in Europe this season, Arrey-Mbi could be a solid signing for West Ham, but there may be concerns that he has no experience in any of Europe’s major leagues.
West Ham move closer to signing ‘phenomenal talent’ from Arsenal with response given
The Irons have asked about one of Mikel Arteta’s gems.
As such, a move for Dier, who has 274 Premier League appearances to his name, might make more sense.
