In a recent report, Mirror stated that West Ham United are targeting Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd this summer. The report also mentioned that the Moroccan centre-back is worth £30million. The Hammers had already looked to sign him last summer but Rennes had reportedly rejected their offer; however, this time they are close to signing him in this off-season.
Aguerd’s Decent Campaign For Rennes This Season
The 19-time Morocco international has had a solid campaign at Rennes, scoring 2 goals and creating 2 assists over 33 appearances across all fronts.
The 26-year-old has given a good account of himself and has been a key player for the French side’s backline after averaging 0.9 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 4.0 clearances in Ligue 1. His ball distribution has also been impressive, completing 88.4% of his attempted passes in French first-division football (stats via whoscored).
What Could He Bring To West Ham United Boss David Moyes’ Starting XI?
Aguerd is adept at playing his way out from the back and remains exceptional in distributing the ball to his teammates. The centre-back has been a solid presence at Rennes’ backline and is not afraid to put his foot into a tackle. He is primarily a centre-back but is versatile enough to play in the left-back position.
The defender can win a couple of aerial duels from the opposition with the help of his 1.88m tall frame. He excels at clearing the lines when the opposition is on the attacking front. Should the Hammers get through their play-off round qualifiers for the Europa Conference League, Aguerd would be a great addition with his experience to help them further.
Following consecutive top-seven finishes in the Premier League, West Ham are looking to add more depth and quality to their squad to climb the table and Nayef Aguerd is the perfect fit. Kurt Zouma is doing well despite being injury-prone and Craig Dawson is already at 32, and thus the Hammers remain weak at the defensive end with injury spells costing them to drop a couple of points in the English top-flight. Aguerd could solve the underlying problem for David Moyes and also act as a replacement for Dawson in the near future. Therefore, Moyes should be wise to bring him to the London Stadium this summer.
