West Ham should make their move for Wilmar Barrios, with Everton reportedly in contact

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West Ham United should join the race for Wilmar Barrios.

West Ham United have been prolific when it comes to signing players this summer, and they also have history of signing players after their World Cup displays.

The Hammers have brought in seven new faces this summer, as Lukasz Fabianski, Ryan Fredericks, Issa Diop, Fabian Balbuena, Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson have all arrived at the London Stadium.

They still need more new additions, and given the speculation surrounding potential exits for Pedro Obiang and Cheikhou Kouyate, another holding midfielder is absolutely needed.

Now, West Ham fans would be forgiven for not wanting another World Cup player arriving in East London, but Colombia’s Wilmar Barrios would fit the bill perfectly.

After the 2006 World Cup, West Ham signed Ghana defender John Paintsil as well as Argentinian duo Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez, but those moves didn’t quite go to plan.

2010 saw West Ham land Mexican flop Pablo Barrera after a strong tournament, whilst West Ham paid big to land Enner Valencia in 2014 after his goalscoring exploits for Ecuador, but he couldn’t replicate those feats in England.

Signing another World Cup player may just terrify West Ham fans, but Barrios does fit the bill. The Boca Juniors star, 24, has impressed in Argentina, becoming a key part of the Boca side thanks to his combative nature and impressive defensive work, even earning comparisons to N’Golo Kante.

Barrios became a villain at the World Cup after headbutting England’s Jordan Henderson and somehow escaping a red card, but that hasn’t stopped interest in his signature.

Clarin report that Everton have made contact about signing Barrios, whilst Chelsea and Tottenham are keen, but given West Ham’s needs, they should also be in the market for the midfielder, who has a £16million release clause in his deal.

With Wilshere’s injury problems famed and Manuel Pellegrini is lacking other options if he does allow Kouyate and Obiang to go, with Barrios – young, full of potential, strong, combative and available given his release clause – fitting the bill perfectly, with West Ham not averse from shopping in South America having landed Balbuena from Corinthians.