In a recent report, The Daily Mail stated that West Ham United are facing stiff competition for FC Koln defender Timo Hubers. It has been claimed that the Hammers will have to rival Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Southampton in pursuit of the German centre-back.
Hubers’ Impressive Rise At RheinEnergieStadion
Hubers has played a useful role in Koln’s match-day squad during this campaign and has put in a handful of dominant displays at the heart of Steffen Baumgart’s defence. The 25-year-old has made 19 appearances for the German outfit this season, finding the back of the net on one occasion in multiple competitions.
The Hildesheim-born talent has caught the eye by averaging 2.1 tackles, 2.7 interceptions and 4.9 clearances per game in the Bundesliga. He has even been excellent when distributing the ball from the back, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 82.6% in the German top-flight (stats via whoscored).
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Is Hubers A Good Option For West Ham United?
Hubers is a solid tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to make some important interceptions inside his half. He usually clears the danger when the opposition are on the front foot and is also proficient at playing his way out from the back.
The German defensive ace can use his strong 1.90m to win some 50-50 aerial duels for his side. However, only time will tell whether Hubers is good enough to cope with the physical nature and high intensity of Premier League football.
At 25, Hubers has got a bright future ahead of him, so it makes sense for the player to opt for a change of scenery in the summer. We can expect the German talent to add a lot of bite and steel to West Ham boss David Moyes‘ defensive department which makes him a decent option for the Hammers to consider at the end of this campaign.
Hubers is primarily a central defender but can also fill in as a defensive midfielder or a right-back if needed. Thus, the East London outfit should prioritise on trying everything they can to lure the German sensation to the London Stadium this summer.
