West Ham United, under Manuel Pellegrini, must be aiming for a place in Europe after finishing tenth last season in the Premier League standings. The club-record signing of Sébastien Haller is a statement of intent, but the Hammers are not done yet in the market as they are keen to bolster the squad furthermore prior to the August 8 deadline.
One player they might have missed out on is New York Red Bulls centre-back Aaron Long. The USA international has been impressive in recent months and is also being tracked by the likes of Marseille, Fiorentina, Rennes, and Lyon, according to Diario AS. But the player prefers a switch to Premier League amid interest from West Ham and a minuscule £4m release clause makes him a pretty viable option.
However, the intended transfer to East London has now been jeopardised due to work permit concerns according to Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol.
West Ham want to sign New York Red Bulls and USA centre back Aaron Long but can’t complete a deal because he can’t get a work permit at the moment. Long has £4m release clause and wants to play in the Premier League
— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) July 26, 2019
Although both the clubs held positive talks over a potential deal, the player himself is unsure of his immediate future.
“I don’t know, man. I have no idea when I’m going, where I’m going, if I’m going at all, all I know is that offers have come in and got rejected right now by the Red Bulls.”
Long confirmed on the Benny Feilhaber and Sal Zizzo’s ‘BS The Podcast’ (as cited by Diario AS).
Who Is Aaron Long And Why He Is Making The Headlines?
The 26-year-old defensive ace started his career as a midfielder and had spells with Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders before joining the Metros following a successful trial. He was initially roped in for their reserve side, but a stellar show in the heart of their backline led to his maiden experience in the Major League Soccer.
Long was quick to make an impression as he went on to grab the MLS defender of the year (2018) reward last season. His excellence earned him an international call-up back in September and Long is now a regular in the national team. He captained his nation against Panama earlier this year and also scored a brace versus Trinidad and Tobago in a Gold Cup victory.
How He Would Have Helped The Hammers
Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop had a decent run last season whereas Angelo Ogbonna featured as a cover for the preferred pair. But the growing uncertainty over Winston Reid’s fitness is a genuine concern as the 31-year-old New Zealander was ruled out for the entire 2018-19 season having missed out the majority of the 2017-18 term too.
Long, meanwhile, would have been an able alternative of the Hammers veteran with his physical as well as aerial attributes, whereas his set-piece threats would have handed the Londoners an added benefit alongside his defensive traits.
