Stoke City join the race for Daniel Opare – West Ham must act quickly

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Stoke City have joined the race for Daniel Opare. West Ham should act quickly.

With Stoke City having lost five of their last seven games, and sitting just above the relegation zone, pressure is gradually mounting on manager Mark Hughes. Having conceded 47 goals in the Premier League already, it certainly appears that Hughes may want to consider bolstering his defensive options in the January transfer window.

However, it won’t be easy to sign good defenders on a relatively decent value, given that Liverpool paid £75 million for Virgil van Dijk – the benchmark has been set already.

According to reports from the Sunday People (printed edition; 31/12/2017 – page 53), Stoke City are considering making a move for Augsburg defender Daniel Opare.

Opare has been excellent in the Bundesliga this term, but the Sunday People reports that he is set to be available for just £5 million in the January window as his contract with the German club expires at the end of the season.

The news should ring as a wake-up call for David Moyes, as West Ham have been reportedly chasing the defender as well.

The Daily Mail reported last month that the Hammers are one of the clubs interested in the Ghana international, who has 18 caps for his country already.

Opare is comfortable in either full-back role, and would be a smart signing for the Hammers. West Ham already have Pablo Zabaleta and Sam Byram for the right full-back role, but with Opare available for such a small fee, it seems a non-brainer to move for him.

He may not be a headline-grabbing signing, but could prove to be an absolute bargain for whoever signs him. West Ham must be smart in their approach in the transfer market, and should move quickly ahead of other potential suitors for his signature.