OPINION
Leeds United should pull out all the stops to re-sign Sam Byram from West Ham this summer.
The defender’s days at the London Stadium are numbered after a wretched campaign ruined by two serious injuries in which he made just 10 first-team appearances.
Team Talk editor James Marshment reported on his personal Twitter account on Wednesday morning that the Hammers will imminently confirm that Byram, 24, has been on the transfer list.
Marshment explained that West Ham want to recoup the £3.5million fee they paid Leeds two-and-a-half years ago for the 24-year-old, who has two years remaining on his contract.
West Ham expected to confirm Sam Byram has been transfer-listed and will seek a fee of around £3.5m.
Former Leeds man contracted at London Stadium until 2020.
Not really gone well for him down there….— James Marshment (@marshyleeds) May 23, 2018
Leeds should snap the Hammers’ hands off at that kind of price.
Given that United are crying out for reliable full-backs – with Byram having the added bonus of being able to push up into wide midfield – a concerted push to re-sign the Elland Road academy product makes perfect sense.
He is also within price range, the kind of fee that Leeds showed in January they are willing to spend through their £4million purchases of Adam Forshaw and Tyler Roberts.
Statistics site Spotrac report that Byram earns £30,000-a-week at the Hammers, which could just be within range for the Championship club.
Some Leeds fans don’t believe Byram is an upgrade on Luke Ayling, the first choice right-back who missed the second half of the recent season due to an ankle injury.
Maybe they weren’t watching as the former Bristol City player fluffed his lines horribly in the opening half of 2017-18.
Byram is not only more comfortable on the ball than Ayling, but just as solid in defence and will surely have learned a thing or two from deputising the likes of Pablo Zabaleta.
He would be a super-smart acquisition by the Yorkshire giants.
