West Ham are in a fierce Premier League hunt to try and seal the signing of Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne – and with full backs a must in east London he would be a great addition to the Hammers.
Goal.com claim that the Irons are joined by Bournemouth, where Clyne is currently on loan to, in chasing the 28-year-old’s capture this summer, with the Anfield outfit said to be seeking a price tag of £15million for his sale.
As doubt build over the future of Pablo Zabaleta at the London Stadium, there is little questioning that the England international would be an outstanding upgrade on the Argentine veteran.
Is he anything special?
You do not get 14 caps for the Three Lions if you are not a quality talent and it has only been injuries which have stopped him becoming a regular for both club and country over the last couple of years.
The epitome of what it means to be a wing back, his pace and power has caused rival defences all sort of problems during his career, doing all that while remaining a resolute figure in defence.
His record this season is nothing to write home about – 15 league games without an assist or a goal – but the fact he has played in every game he has been eligible for with the Cherries, missing out only in the clash versus his parent side, suggests he is getting back to his best.
He has a long way to go before hitting the heights he managed earlier in his career but the signs are promising.
Where does he fit in at West Ham?
Ahead of Zabaleta and Ryan Fredericks, that is for sure. The Argentine veteran is not guaranteed to be at the club next season with a contract that is set to expire but even if he does stay, you cannot see him keeping Clyne out of the side. He has been a shadow of his former self and perhaps his age is starting to catch up with him.
As for Fredericks, he has not lived up to expectation since his move last summer and while he still has the potential to make the grade, Clyne would be a massive upgrade on the current options in east London.
Interesting fact
Clyne has a picture of himself as a three year holding a football tattooed on his arm, while he also has tattoos of the London Eye and Big Ben.