West Ham United are reportedly looking to bolster their centre-back options during the January transfer window.
Mawson has certainly impressed during his time in the Premier League – even if he is playing for the division’s bottom side – so the Irons’ interest should probably come as little surprise.
What will come as a surprise however, is if the Irons decide to meet the Swans’ demands for his signature, with The Sun suggesting at the weekend that Carlos Carvalhal’s men would want £40 million for the 23-year-old.
Given that reported asking price, it seems that there is a long way to go before Mawson comes close to making a move to the London Stadium, and thus, the Hammers should consider alternative targets if they are keen to add to their defensive options.
One player who should perhaps be catching the eye is Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall, who the Daily Mirror reports is rated at £10 million – just £3 million more than what the Hammers paid to sign Michail Antonio from the same club in 2015, according to the Daily Mail.
Worrall is already a stalwart of the Forest team at the age of 20, and should continue to get considerably better in the coming years as he gains experience.
Like many of the Forest academy graduates currently plying their trade in the first-team, he looks to have the potential to play at the highest level. And with the Mirror reporting that new Forest boss Aitor Karanka could look to sell him this month to raise funds, West Ham perhaps have the perfect opportunity to make a move.
Worrall is not the finished article by any means, but he appears to have the potential to possibly catch Mawson up – and given that he is reportedly set to cost a quarter of the price, the Hammers should consider joining the race for the Forest man as it may prove to be a very good piece of business indeed.
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