OPINION
West Ham United may have already signed two centre-backs this summer, but Manuel Pellegrini must bring in one more to round off a perfect spending spree.
The Hammers were horrifically poor at the back last season, possessing the league’s joint-worst defence, and Pellegrini has obviously identified this as an area of importance this summer.
The acquisitions of Issa Diop from Toulouse and Fabian Balbuena from Corinthians are both a step in the right direction, but with the ailing fitness of Winston Reid and the potential of Declan Rice in midfield to think about, one more centre-back is needed to really make this a flawless summer.
The club have been linked with a move for free agent Diego Reyes, which would make perfect sense considering the club’s heavy outlay so far, but as reported by Sky Sports, Fenerbahce look to be the favourites in that race.
They must now look elsewhere, and the Hammers have also been linked with another player who would be a far better addition than Reyes, despite not being a free agent himself.
As reported by L’Equipe, the Irons are one of three clubs in the hunt for Torino defender Nicolas Nkoulou, with Newcastle and Sevilla the other sides interested.
The 72-cap Cameroon international would be a brilliant addition for the Hammers, with his vast experience at the top level in both Italy and France putting him in good stead to hit the ground running in the Premier League, and they must blow their rivals away in the hunt for his signature.
Nkoulou is a powerful centre-back who is both strong in the air and in the tackle, while also being composed on the ball and able to dribble past opposition players with ease.
A centre-back partnership of Nkoulou and Diop next season would be fantastic for the Hammers, who would be able to push Rice into a defensive midfield role where he would flourish.
Nkoulou cost Torino £3.5million earlier this summer following the completion of a year-long loan, and the Italian club would surely be tempted to part with him for an offer around the £10million mark.
While this may be a stretch for the club following their heavy outlay this summer, the value for money in this deal is clear, and this one final purchase would round off what has been a perfect summer for the Hammers.
