According to Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth (via the Daily Star), West Ham United have refused to give up on their chase to secure the services of Aaron Long from New York Red Bulls this summer. Sheth provided an update on Sky Sports News where he said (via the Daily Star),
“Representatives of New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long are still trying to get the player a work permit. West Ham want to sign him for £4m.”
The Daily Star has also claimed that the Hammers will face stiff competition from Marseille, Fiorentina, Rennes and Lyon in pursuit of the Major League Soccer defensive ace in this off-season.
The Rapid Rise Of Aaron Long In The MLS
The 26-year-old began his playing career at FC Tucson before going on to play for teams such as UC Riverside, Timbers, Sacramento FC, OC Blues FC and Seattle Sounders. Since making a switch to New York, the United States centre-back fought his way up the youth ranks of New York Red Bulls before making his debut for their senior team back in 2017.
Long featured in a total of 106 matches for the MLS outfit in the previous term, scoring six goals while grabbing two assists in all competitions. On the defensive end, the American talent made an average of 0.6 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 5.5 clearances per game in the Major League Soccer last season (stats via whoscored).
He has also earned 11 international caps for the United States men’s national soccer team and has scored twice for them thus far. At 26, Long is currently enjoying the prime years of his playing career which the Hammers could look to benefit from over the next few seasons.
What Will The American Defender Add To Pellegrini’s Side?
Long has decent pace under his belt which helps him make some great recovering tackles inside his half. He is a commanding presence in defence and can lead his backline with authority and conviction. The MLS prospect is a capable defender who is not the best at playing the ball out from the back. Thus, he might struggle to adapt to Manuel Pellegrini’s style of attacking football at the London Stadium.
However, if the Hammers are looking to sign him to bolster their squad depth, then it makes sense to bring him to East London. He is physically dominant and shouldn’t have any problems coping with life in the Premier League. At the same time, the California born prospect has not proven his worth outside the United States, so the jury is still out on whether he can perform at his best if the spotlight is on him in English football next season.
