West Ham United have been linked with a left-back, but how do they compare to key player Aaron Cresswell?
As reported by L’Equipe, the Irons are taking an interest in Rennes full-back Adrien Truffert, though the article doesn’t give a transfer fee.
With David Moyes’ side competing on both a Premier League and UEFA Europa Conference League front next season, it would be no shock to see the Irons make a bid for the £10.8m-rated gem this summer.
If they did indeed move for the 5 foot 7 left-sided defender, would he take the place of Cresswell when fit?
Let’s see how the two left-backs compare:
Aaron Cresswell
Over the past eight seasons in East London, Cresswell has been an incredibly consistent performer, making 293 appearances in his time with the Irons, scoring ten goals and providing 34 assists, according to Transfermarkt.
This season, he has scored two goals and provided seven assists across all competitions, according to the same stats provider.
The 32-year-old has also performed exceptionally well in a defensive sense, making 30 tackles, 48 blocks, and 43 interceptions according to FBref, suggesting that the £3.6m-rated regular is useful for West Ham’s attacking and defensive output.
Cresswell was labelled an “unsung hero” on talkSPORT by Tony Cascarino earlier this season, with his performances helping West Ham seal a seventh-place finish in the Premier League this campaign.
Adrien Truffert
Truffert has had a solid season for Rennes this season, earning a SofaScore rating of 6.76 for his performances domestically this campaign, though this is lower than Cresswell’s 7.01 rating for his Premier League displays.
The France U21 international has scored three goals and also provided three assists for Rennes this season across all competitions according to Transfermarkt, which beats the West Ham man’s goal tally of two goals, but is significantly lower than his seven assists.
But Truffert is likely to cause more danger in the opposition box than his 32-year-old competition, taking 45 touches in the attacking penalty area in Ligue 1 this season, compared to the Englishman’s 29, according to FBref.
The 20-year-old’s defensive stats are incredibly similar to that of his English counterpart, with the Frenchman having made 32 tackles, 47 blocks, and 32 interceptions according to the same stats provider, which is incredibly similar to that of Cresswell’s aforementioned defensive stats.
He has been described as an “intelligent player” by former Rennes manager Julien Stéphan, with the youngster making a big impression in his early days at the club.
Our Verdict
Whilst Cresswell might be the more proven performer, having experienced eight seasons of Premier League football, it does seem that Truffert has got the potential to be a special player and top-class left-back for the future.
It must be pointed out that the former Ipswich man has been sent off twice in the Europa League this campaign, one of which was in the Irons’ semi-final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, so it may be wise for David Moyes to start looking at different options to play on that left-side of defence.
If Truffert continues to attract more suitors, it may not be long before GSB’s hand is forced, and the Hammers could have two solid options at left-back going into next season.
In other news, Juan Mata could move to West Ham according to EXWHUemployee
