Thilo Kehrer has left Premier League outfit West Ham United and returned to France with Monaco coach Adi Hutter delighted to get his mitts on the ‘very versatile’ German international.
He may have struggled to nail down a regular spot in David Moyes’ starting XI at the London Stadium, but a player who once joined Paris Saint-Germain for over £30 million while earning 27 caps for the German national team is certainly not short of talent.
And the task now falls upon Adi Hutter to get Thilo Kehrer’s career up and running again. The West Ham benchwarmer joins Monaco on loan with a £9.4 million option-to-buy clause in his contract.
HITC Football understands that the one-time Schalke man turned down a return to the Bundesliga in favour of Monaco – he was heavily linked with Eintracht Frankfurt – and Hutter believes Kehrer’s adaptability will come in very handy at the Principality.
Thilo Kehrer leaves West Ham for Monaco
“Thilo will bring us a lot,” Hutter tells the Monaco website. “He is a competitive player with a lot of experience, very versatile, who can play in several positions. On the right side of defence, in a two or three, and even as a holding player.
“He looks in very good form, so he will do us good. I am very happy that he is joining us on loan until the end of the season.”
Kehrer is confident that West Ham’s ‘intense training’ sessions can offset his lack of game time in recent months, while admitting that securing a place in the Germany squad for next summer’s European Championships on home soil is a major ambition.
Kehrer played only 18 minutes of Premier League football in the first half of the campaign.
Germany place up for grabs
“Everyone knows Thilo’s qualities, which correspond to the way we play. We had the opportunity to strengthen ourselves defensively, and we have had very good discussions with him,” adds Monaco CEO Tiago Scuro.
“When we look at Thilo’s track record, particularly with PSG and West Ham, it proves what we want to bring to AS Monaco. The culture of winning.
“He already knows Ligue 1, the teams and the style of play. So obviously that makes his adaptation easier. Also as Adi explained, it is important to speak several languages to integrate well in the locker room.
“But that’s not just why we recruited him. First and foremost, (we signed Kehrer) for his qualities on the pitch.”
It remains to be seen if The Hammers look to bring in a replacement. HITC understands that the London giants like Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah, but a move abroad is more likely at this stage for the 24-year-old.
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