West Ham are set to complete the signing of Rennes centre-back Nayef Aguerd by the end of the month, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
David Moyes is keen to bolster his squad ahead of another season of European football at the London Stadium, and a deal for Aguerd is now close to being finalised.
What's the latest news involving Aguerd?
It has been reported by The Sun that West Ham tried to sign Aguerd last summer, but they failed to land the defender before the deadline.
However, it has now been claimed that he is set to move to east London this summer for around €40m (£34m), once a dispute over bonuses is settled.
Aguerd made 31 Ligue 1 appearances in 2021/22, with Rennes finishing their campaign in fourth place, meaning they will be playing in the Europa League next term.
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What has Jones said about Aguerd?
Some clubs have moved very quickly this summer to announce their signings, with Aston Villa in particular bringing in a host of fresh faces already.
Jones has suggested that West Ham are taking a little more time to ensure that everything is done correctly with the Aguerd deal, but he expects an announcement to be made at some point in June.
Talking to GIVEMESPORT about Aguerd moving to West Ham, Jones said: “It’s almost there. They’re just ironing out the final stages of that deal now, so I think it’ll probably be announced by the end of the month. It sounds like all the other pieces are in place, they just need to get the actual finances signed off.”
Would Aguerd be a good signing for West Ham?
It is clear that West Ham need to sign a centre-back this summer as they were really stretched in this area at times last season.
Angelo Ogbonna missed the majority of the campaign with a serious knee injury, while Kurt Zouma also had fitness issues of his own. This left Craig Dawson to pick up the pieces, with Issa Diop filling in for some games alongside him.
Ogbonna and Dawson are now well into their thirties, while Diop has not kicked on as some at West Ham may have hoped, so they need to freshen up the heart of their defence, and Aguerd looks to be a good option.
He received a better average match rating (6.88) than any of West Ham's centre-backs from WhoScored last term, highlighting his consistency.
He has made 91 appearances in Ligue 1 during his career, and also has Champions League experience, having played in the competition back in 2020/21.
At 26, he ought to be coming into his peak years, and he appears to have all the attributes needed to succeed under Moyes at West Ham.
GiveMeSport Transfer Update With Dean Jones