The Hammers still have the option to sign the Ligue 1 defender before the deadline.
The transfer market closes tonight, and West Ham United has been handed the opportunity to bolster their defensive options before the deadline.
Latest West Ham transfer news
David Moyes has already signed England international Kalvin Phillips on loan from Premier League champions Manchester City and may now bring in an experienced full-back from Ligue 1.
According to L’Équipe, the Hammers have been offered Marseille right-back Jonathan Clauss as a last-ditch move before the window closes.
According to the article, the French team has began to question his loyalty to their cause when he was wounded against AS Monaco, despite later medical tests indicating no signs of a significant problem.
This has opened the way for West Ham and Turkish heavyweights Galatasaray, and Moyes might improve on present right-back Vladimir Coufal by seizing this opportunity.
Coufal’s performance this season.
Throughout the 2023/24 Premier League season, the Czech Republic international has performed admirably at the back for the Scottish manager.
Coufal, who had no goals and one assist in 27 Premier League appearances last season, has contributed inventiveness and excellent defensive effort for the Hammers.
As shown in the table above, the 31-year-old battler has won nearly half of his physical bouts, implying that he has performed reasonably well in 50/50 duels.
Meanwhile, Coufal has moved up the pitch in possession, hoping to create opportunities at the top end of the pitch with his passing and crossing.
Stats that demonstrate why Clauss might enhance West Ham’s team
The present West Ham defender has not been a liability for Moyes, but the manager may help his team by bringing Clauss in, given his attacking skills at right-back.
He has made 18 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, generating three ‘big opportunities’, 0.6 dribbles completed each game, and 1.6 important passes per match.
His best form, however, came during the 2022/23 season for Marseille, when he demonstrated his creative talent on a regular basis, as shown in the table below.
Clauss has generated 17 ‘big opportunities’ for the French team in 52 Ligue 1 appearances since the beginning of last season. Coufal, on the other hand, has created seven ‘huge opportunities’ for his teammates in 47 Premier League matches over the same time span.
The £47k-per-week Marseille star, who was once dubbed “incredible” by former coach Igor Tudor, has also won 55% of his duels in the French top division this season.
These statistics indicate that Clauss may offer slightly more in physical duels than Coufal due to his higher success rate in individual battles, while also having the attacking ability to create high-quality chances for his teammates far more frequently, which is why Moyes should seize this opportunity to sign the France international.
Leave a Reply