West Ham United have been one of the worse teams defensively in the Premier League this season but most of it has been down to injuries. Most of his first choice players and their replacements for Slaven Bilic’s back line have picked up lengthy injuries at one point in time or the other and the manager is now looking to add some more numbers to the squad to help him in situations like this. He might also let a few players leave and is now looking at Hull City’s Harry Maguire as an option in the summer. The Croatian manager is a regular preacher of the 3-4-3 system and he needs as many centre backs as he can in his squad to make it work on a regular basis and is eyeing a move for the English defender this summer. So is the Maguire the right option for West Ham?
The Tigers are currently in danger of getting relegated and unless there is a turn in their fortunes, they are set to lose some of their best players this summer. And Maguire is surely one of them. Having made 18 starts for the Tigers this season, Maguire, who joined the club almost three years ago, is a mainstay even under Marco Silva this season and has also captained the side, most recently against the Gunners, but at just 24, he will be on the constant lookout for better opportunities and even if Hull do not go down, he could be tempted to join the Hammers in their charge to Europe next season.
Slaven Bilic’s side has been very unlucky with injuries this season. Winston Reid and Jose Fonte, the summer signing, are currently the first choice at the back for the manager who is forced was forced to used Chiekhou Kouyate at right back not so long ago. They lost a consistent Angelo Ogbonna to a season-ending injury late in January and are already short of central defenders at the moment. Bilic has, in a sense, been forced to use a centre-back pair instead of the three at the back that got them back on track early in the season, after a mediocre start. So the manager should surely spend on a centre back in this summer and Maguire is as good as any.
With more than 200 league appearances in England, the Hull City man is experienced way beyond his age and is on the brink of a call-up for England. Playing for a relegation threatened side has some impressive figures that are right up there with the best in the league. Impressively strong in the air, Maguire has won 81.03% of his ariel duels in a league with some of the best strikers around and is also better than three of the West Ham defenders this season. He has committed just 17 fouls, which is also impressive for a defender and his threat in set-pieces will also attract the West Ham manager.
He is confident with the ball at his feet and is definitely a player who has the potential to grow up to become the best in the league and Bilic will know that he can get the best out of him at the Olympic Stadium. His passing accuracy and delivery of long balls is an added advantage and by the looks of it, Maguire might not take long to settle into Hammer’s set-up. Playing alongside the likes of Jose Fonte and Winston Reid will also help him grow as a player but do you think he is the right choice for West Ham?
