West Ham Draw Up Two-Man Defender Shortlist as They Scramble to Replace Collapsed Harry Maguire Deal

West Ham transfer news
West Ham transfer news

After an expected £30m deal for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire fell through earlier this week, the latest West Ham transfer news sees the Hammers linked with two new targets.

West Ham Transfer News

Although West Ham’s transfer activity took a while to leave the station, the board are moving full steam ahead after managing to bring in Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse.

With the midfield now sufficiently bolstered, their full attention can turn to adding another defender to the ranks.

Despite agreeing personal terms and advancing negotiations to the final details, their pursuit of now-ex United captain Harry Maguire appears dead in the water.

Maguire’s desire to stay and fight for his place, coupled with West Ham’s growing frustration at having to wait, has led to a collapse.

It leaves the Hammers scrambling to identify and execute a deal for a new defensive target before September 1st’s deadline, and reports suggest they have drawn up a two-man shortlist.

That is according to the Guardian, who indicate West Ham have genuine interest in former Arsenal centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos and Bayer Leverkusen’s promising Ivorian Odilon Kossounou.

The former is said to be open to a move back to the Premier League after impressing for Stuttgart last season, and fits the profile of West Ham’s imposing backline.

As for the latter, Kossounou has long been linked with a move to England having emerged at Club Brugge as a teenager, before cementing his place among Xabi Alonso’s starting XI at Leverkusen.

Elsewhere, the club are also preparing for life without Aaron Cresswell, who has been linked with a departure before the end of the window. If that does indeed materialise, Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen has been identified as their chief target, after the Dutchman caught the eye while out on loan at Burnley last term.

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