According to Spanish news outlet La Segunda, West Ham United are looking to bring Deportivo Alaves defender Guillermo Maripan to the London club next summer. The Hammers already had a bid for the player turned down in the January transfer window but might not give up on their pursuit for the Chilean defensive ace as manager Manuel Pellegrini looks to add more stability to his backline.
The east London club have suffered from the lack of finding the right partnership in their backline throughout this season. The likes of Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena did a decent job for some time in the middle of the season, but the latter’s injury has once again forced Pellegrini to use Angelo Ogbonna alongside Diop in the heart of the backline. This has made the defence look vulnerable once again.
It is evident that the Chilean gaffer needs a better option than Ogbonna as a backup for his side and he is reportedly eyeing the 23-year-old Maripan to take up the position. The centre back has been a revelation in the Deportivo Alaves backline and has earned rave reviews from a number of football experts from all over Europe.
The Chilean defender has made 22 appearances for his side so far in La Liga and has shown why he is so highly rated with his dogged displays in the backline. Apart from being a beast in the backline with his towering headers and brilliant tackles, he is an obvious threat with his ability to take on the opposition players and score goals from set-pieces while going up the pitch. In fact, Maripan has already scored two goals this season so far and has proven that he is a perfect team player with two assists as well (pretty impressive stats for a centre back).
Pellegrini has indeed done a commendable job with a side tormented by injury crisis. He has helped them to notch up a place among the top ten clubs so far in the Premier League table this season.
He, however, would be aware of the fact that things would get tougher in the next season. To perform well in the top tier, Pellegrini will need players with the ability to fight hard against all the odds throughout the season and help his side deliver results.
The 23-year-old Chilean defender could be a very astute inclusion to the West Ham United lineup to strengthen their defence and make the veteran gaffer a little less worried with his squad if they can land him in the next transfer window.
