West Ham have signed Nayef Aguerd as rumours of Newcastle United hijacking the deal have amounted to nothing.
The Hammers were seeking a new left-footed centre back for David Moyes’ back four.
Angelo Ogbonna has been filling that role admirably in recent years but he is now 34 and is coming off the back of a major injury.
The Italian may not be the same player when he returns this summer and it’s smart of West Ham to go and sign another option in that position.
Aguerd has been a long-term target for West Ham and they finally have their man.
West Ham have signed Nayef Aguerd
West Ham have today confirmed the arrival of Rennes defender Aguerd, handing him a five-year deal at the London Stadium.
The Hammers are paying around £30million to sign Aguerd, and fans will be relieved that the deal is finally over the line.
Aguerd has been a key target of late but there were fears last week that West Ham would be hijacked.
The Daily Star noted that Newcastle were trying to hijack the deal and that Aguerd was torn over whether to join West Ham or the Magpies.
90Min have added that Newcastle made two approaches to sign Aguerd but he has picked West Ham.
This is a major capture for West Ham, adding one of the top centre backs in French football.
The 26-year-old will hope to hit the ground running in England and show that he made the right choice in picking West Ham over Newcastle.
French football expert Julien Laurens is certainly a fan of the move, telling the Sky Sports Transfer Talk podcast that he thinks this is a ‘great signing’ for West Ham.
Laurens added that Aguerd is ‘quite rare’ in terms of his technical ability, branding him ‘really talented’ as West Ham celebrate something of a coup.
“I think it’s a great signing. One because he’s left-footed but it’s not just that, it’s a sweet left foot. He has a good technical ability for a centre-back which is quite rare,” said Laurens.
“He’s tall, quick and reads the game well and is a threat at set pieces. He’s scored goals on set pieces offensively and we know how good West Ham are at set pieces. He’s going to be another weapon in that armour on top of all the others.”
“He will go to the World Cup, so as a first season in England when you need to adapt, leaving for six weeks and coming back on Boxing Day may be a bit tricky. He’s a really talented boy and polite too. He’s got his feet on the ground, I couldn’t speak more highly of him,” he added.
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