According to The Sunday Mirror (11/10, p73), West Ham United are interested in signing Preston North End defender Ben Davies this week.
It’s claimed that the Hammers are desperate to sign a new centre back this week, and David Moyes has a couple of options in mind ahead of Friday’s domestic deadline.
Watford’ Craig Dawson is one option, seemingly more so than Swansea City’s Joe Rodon right now, but Davies is also a player on Moyes’ wish list.
The report notes that Moyes knows all about Davies because he has ‘strong links’ at Preston, where he was both a player and manager.
Davies, 25, is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning West Ham may be eyeing up a bargain bid for the North End star in the coming days.
Davies has come up through the Preston ranks, and having been miscast as a left back in the past, he has become one of the Championship’s top centre backs under Alex Neil.
He isn’t the biggest of centre backs at just over 6ft tall, but he is quick, reads the game well and passes out from the back well, meaning he could be ideal as the left-sided centre back in Moyes’ current 3-4-3 system.
Preston are demanding £10million for Davies according to the Sheffield Star, meaning West Ham will have to come up with an offer in that region to secure a late deal – though the Hammers will surely test the water with a lower bid.
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