According to the Evening Standard, West Ham United have not given up in their pursuit to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Max Kilman, after having an initial £25m bid rejected.
Julen Lopetegui has been getting stuck into his role in East London with a recruitment drive gearing up to improve West Ham’s squad this summer, one that already includes deals done for Luis Guilherme and Wes Foderingham.
The Spanish manager has a huge task on his hands to get the Hammers back on track and competing for a European qualification spot, so bringing in players who fit his philosophy will be key in giving them the best chance to succeed in their goals.
Lopetegui is no stranger to the Premier League after a stint at Wolverhampton Wanderers, so he will be aware of the pressures and the hard work that has to go into consistently fighting for a place in the top seven.
Now it is looking like the 57-year-old is ready to bring one of his former players from Molineux to the London Stadium, as further reports about the Hammers’ interest in Max Kilman have emerged.
The Evening Standard reported yesterday that West Ham remain keen on signing the Wolves captain after having their initial £25m bid rejected last week and will now return with an improved bid for the talented defender.
Should West Ham sign Max Kilman?
No doubt bringing in a player with not only Premier League experience and strong leadership skills, but somebody who has also already worked with Lopetegui and has been successfully under his guidance would be massively advantageous.
The gifted centre-back has been thriving ever since Lopetegui gave him the captain’s armband at the Midlands club and has continued to polish his craft under Gary O’Neil last season.
Over 38 Premier League appearances, the 27-year-old scored two goals, successfully completed 77% of his dribbles and tallied up an 86% pass completion rate, as well as averaging a whopping 72.6 touches, 4.7 ball recoveries, 4.7 clearances and 4.2 total duels per game, as per SofaScore.
Not only that, Kilman has always received high praise from his peers with former teammate Conor Coady giving a glowing reference about the defender:
“Max has been with us for years, he trains with us every single day, he knows the role inside out, he’s a fantastic lad and a brilliant professional as well.”
With that being said, it will be interesting to see if West Ham are willing to meet Wolves’ £40m valuation this summer, but if they could strike up a deal it would definitely improve the defensive set up ahead of next season.
