West Ham United are reportedly keen to sign Gary Cahill from Premier League rivals Chelsea, while Angelo Ogonna has been linked with a return to Serie A.
Anyone who has watched Angelo Ogbonna in action this season might struggle to believe that this is the same defender who won two Serie A titles with Juventus and reached the semi-finals of Euro 2012 in the Italian national team.
Because Ogbonna has looked a shadow of his former self in recent months in West Ham colours.
The 30-year-old has been restricted to just four Premier League games all season with manager Manuel Pellegrini preferring a partnership of summer signings Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena. Ogbonna hasn’t started a game since he was bullied by Fernando Llorente in a 3-1 EFL Cup defeat to rivals Tottenham.
And reports in Calciomercato suggests that a return to Italy could be on the cards amid interest from AC Milan and Roma, who are surely judging their defensive target on his reputation rather than his form.
But should The Hammers consider cashing in? The answer has to be yes – as long as director of football Mario Husillos manages to find an upgrade in the January transfer window.
And Gary Cahill would be exactly that. According to The Mirror (15 November, page 65), Chelsea are ready to loan out the 32-year-old in the winter with West Ham, who were interested in the summer, set to renew their interest.
Now, Cahill might be past his peak but the 61-time England international, who has won the Premier League, Champions League, EFL Cup and FA Cup with Chelsea, would bring experience, big-game nous and leadership skills to the London Stadium.
And, to put it simply, he is a better defender than the increasingly error-prone Ogbonna.
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