West Ham are likely to be priced out of a move for Alaves centre-back Guillermo Maripan this summer, according to reliable source ExWHUemployee.
The 6’4″ Chilean [Transfermarkt] has been linked with a move to the Hammers for a while now, with the Daily Mail claiming that the club could make a last ditch effort to bring him in in the current transfer window.
But Ex has disputed the report, citing financial restrictions.
Speaking on the West Ham Way podcast, he said: “There has been talk of Maripan, which I’ve mentioned many times, the Chilean international centre-back for Alaves.
“At the moment, I think his price is going to be too big for us to conclude a deal for him.
“I think if we could get it to around £5-8million we would go for him, but that’s not looking likely.”
OPINION
This is a real shame for the Hammers because to all intents and purposes, Maripan looks like the ideal player to come in and provide Manuel Pellegrini with the defensive cover that he is searching for. Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena formed an impressive partnership last seas0n, and you would expect them to do so again this term, but neither Winston Reid nor Angelo Ogbonna look like the most reliable of deputies. By contrast, Maripan had a breakout campaign with Alaves last time around. Two tackles, 1.7 interceptions, and a colossal 5.7 clearances per match, as per Whoscored, show that he is a player capable of reading a game well and marshalling a backline, and that kind of solid presence at the back will never go amiss, especially in amongst the physical rigours of the Premier League. West Ham will still hold out a thin hope of landing their man, but with the transfer window beginning to creak shut, it might be time to cut their losses and look elsewhere.
