David Moyes needs a new right-back and West Ham United reportedly want to bring River Plate’s Gonzalo Montiel to the Premier League.
West Ham United are interested in signing River Plate defender Gonzalo Montiel, according to AS Argentina, although they have seen a bid potentially worth around £9 million turned down.
If we learned anything from the Hammers’ thumping 4-1 defeat at Leicester City on Wednesday night, it’s that an error-prone back line could end up consigning David Moyes’ side to relegation.
Only three teams in the Premier League have conceded more than the Londoners this season and, with Pablo Zabaleta retiring at the campaign’s end, West Ham will have no choice but to enter the market for a new right-back sooner rather than later.
Montiel, then, would be a welcome addition, even if he is something of an unknown quantity on British shores. AS claims that West Ham made an offer to sign the two-time Argentina international on loan with an option to buy in a deal that would have eventually set the club back £9 million.
2018 Copa Libertadores winners River Plate rejected the proposal ‘immediately’, the report adds, as Montiel remains an irreplaceable part of Marcelo Gallardo’s plans. Furthermore, he has a £17 million release clause in his contract.
Should West Ham trigger that clause, River will be powerless to prevent Montiel from leaving but that is a huge fee to pay for a youngster who has never played in European football before.
And before you point out that establishing yourself as an Argentina international is a real hallmark of a player’s quality, it must be remembered that the right-back position has been a huge problem for the South American giants over the years. Montiel is playing largely because the others have failed.
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