West Ham are in the hunt to sign Bristol City defender Joe Bryan, according to David Anderson of the Daily Mirror.
The reliable journalist shared via his personal Twitter account that the Hammers along with Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Wolves and RB Leipzig were keen on signing the pacey left-back who was involved in getting his side 10 goals last season.
Wolves have given up on trying to persuade Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko to join them and are now targeting Bristol City left-back Joe Bryan. Bournemouth, West Ham, Newcastle and RB Leipzig also keen.
— David Anderson (@MirrorAnderson) July 24, 2018
It was previously reported by the Daily Star that Bristol City’s £6m-rated star was keen on a move to the Bundesliga and could wait until January to start negotiating his exit from the Championship side as he will be able to talk clubs then due to his contract expiring next summer.
OPINION
Bryan is a decent signing given he can play as a left-back or left-sided midfielder but Manuel Pellegrini should have enough players to choose from when it comes to those positions. The 24-year-old flyer is rightfully gaining a lot of suitors this summer as he was very impressive during his 2017/18 campaign for Bristol City as he racked up three assists and seven goals in his 48 outings. However given that the Hammers are crying out for a player like him and due to the intense competition for his services then Pellegrini should end the club’s interest in him. The only reason why Bryan should be recruited is if the Hammers opt to sell some of their current options down the left-side of the pitch and that seems unlikely at this point. As all the teams mentioned by Anderson bar the Hammers also feature in the Star’s report, it seems weird that Pellegrini has suddenly gained an interest in Bryan. However if the experienced manager is for some reason looking for a new left-sided flyer this summer then Bryan is a cheap respectable option for him to pursue.
