According to Italian news outlet, Tutto Mercato, Torino have decided to make a swoop for West Ham United target, Armando Izzo. The Genoa defender was heavily linked with a move to the London Stadium but as per latest reports, he might just stay in the Serie A for the upcoming season.
Since Manuel Pellegrini has already signed Issa Diop to the side, it cannot be said for certain that the latest developments are necessarily a massive loss for the Hammers. While Izzo would have been a quality addition to the Hammers ranks, the Chilean boss already has the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Winston Reid and some promising youngsters in Declan Rice, Reece Oxford and Reece Burke.
Maybe Pellegrini does not want to rely on younger players to fill out as sporadic options. The West Ham boss knows how to put together a winning squad (having won the Premier League with Manchester City before) and is making use of every single resource to improve upon the club’s past performances.
The East London outfit finished in the 13th spot in the Premier League table last term through some brilliant bits of tactical awareness from David Moyes. However, the fans were less than pleased to see their side hover near the relegation scraps and let their feelings known in the 0-3 loss against Burnley earlier in the year.
West Ham have already parted ways with James Chester and will have to make some defensive adjustments. With 68 goals conceded last term, they held the worst defensive record in the past season but somehow still managed to finish 9 points clear of the bottom three spots. Working under the assumption that Izzo does choose Torino over West Ham, Pellegrini should be preparing up the chalkboard and taking a look into his alternate options.
Alfie Mawson
The highly rated Swansea City defender could be available after the Swans got demoted to the Championship. The 24-year-old has a lot of talent and could be a perfect fit for the Hammers if they decided to opt for his services.
Chris Smalling
Jose Mourinho has been on the lookout for defensive reinforcements and was even considering a possible Smalling transfer earlier in the year. The 28-year-old has also been dropped by Gareth Southgate for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. If the Hammers make a sizeable offer, Manchester United might not hold back on selling him.
Read More: 3 Alternatives For European Ace At West Ham United Including This Veteran Liverpool Midfielder!
Willi Orban
The 25-year-old plies his trade for RB Leipzig and has a contract with the Bundesliga outfit until the summer of 2022. He is one of the best defenders for the German outfit, with 37 appearances to his name in the last campaign.
