West Ham United Hoping To Land This Gifted Defender: What Will He Add To Moyes’ Side?

In a recent report, Globo Esporte stated that West Ham United are hoping to land Red Bull Bragantino defender Leo Ortiz this summer. It is believed that the Hammers have made contact with the player over a potential move to the London Stadium this summer.

Ortiz’s Decent Career In The Nabi Abi Chedid Stadium

Ortiz has enjoyed a decent career at Bragantino as he has firmly established himself as a dominant presence at the heart of their defence. The Porto Alegre-born talent has made 147 appearances for the Brazilian club so far, scoring eight goals and grabbing four assists across all competitions.

The 26-year-old has been a rock at the back for Bragantino this season based on his average of 1.4 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 4.8 clearances per 90 minutes in Brasileirao. He has even been accurate with his ball distribution after completing 86.3% of his attempted passes in the Brazilian top-flight (stats via whoscored).

What Will Ortiz Add To West Ham United Boss David Moyes’ Side?

Ortiz is a solid tackler of the ball and can sense the danger quickly to earn the ball back for his team on the defensive third of the pitch. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when required and is also proficient at playing his way out from the back.

A defender of Ortiz’s experience and skill set will be a decent addition to West Ham boss David Moyes‘ defence ahead of the new campaign.

We can expect Ortiz to add a lot of bite and steel to the Hammers‘ backline and increase competition for places within their match-day squad. He could even serve as a good replacement for Angelo Ogbonna whose contract at the London Stadium is about to expire at the end of this month.

At 26, the Bragantino centre-back is about to enter his prime and could give his best years to West Ham. Hence, the East London club would be wise to try their best to get a deal done for the Brazilian defensive ace before the start of the new season.