OPINION
West Ham must rev up their reported pursuit of former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill after Darren Bent claimed that the centre-back would be a good signing for the Hammers.
Football Insider previously stated that the enforcer wasn’t a priority target for Manuel Pellegrini but that the Hammers could end up moving for him next week.
However, the Daily Mail claimed that the Hammers weren’t the only Premier League team considering Cahill an option, as they claimed that Crystal Palace and Burnley were in the race for him.
Bent, who is regularly seen on Sky Sports as a pundit, gave his thoughts on the 33-year-old defender and claimed he could do a good job at the London Stadium for a couple of years.
“If West Ham can get him, that would be a great signing,” Bent said in an interview with Football Insider.
“He can do a job for West Ham or someone over the next couple of years. He’s in good shape, he would be a good addition to anyone.”
Cahill has played 349 times in the Premier League during his career and would be an experienced hand at the back.
The 33-year-old has scored 27 goals, while helping keep a staggering 92 clean sheets, in his Premier League career and his tackle success rate still impressively stands at 76% despite him having played loads of times. (Source: Premier League)
With a record like that and when you consider the Hammers’ current leaky defence conceding 55 goals in the league last season, snapping up a proven defender like Cahill on a free transfer is a no brainer.
So when you consider that then Bent is spot on, so the Hammers have to rev up their pursuit as failing to move quickly may cause them to miss out.
The Sun reported on Sunday that Crystal Palace were currently winning the race to sign Cahill with him wanting to be paid £75,000-a-week and keen to stay in London near his family base.
The national newspaper also shared how Cahill has been talking to other clubs, which means he’ll likely have multiple offers to choose from so the Hammers have to put their best foot forward to get him, and you feel he isn’t going to wait around for them.
