David Moyes’ long-standing pursuit of Wolves captain Max Kilman will end in disappointment as it seems unlikely that the Englishman will leave Molineux.
The West Ham United manager has been keen to sign Kilman for months, but the Hammers’ chances of getting the former Maidenhead United defender are slim at best.
Kilman has played a key role in Wolves’ impressive form this season under Gary O’Neil and after Napoli rejected an offer in the summer window, Wolves seem desperate to keep hold of their captain.
However, all hope is not lost for West Ham as the perfect alternative to Kilman has been revealed.
West Ham should sign Ilija Zabarnyi from Bournemouth:
Illia Zabarnyi was one of the most prominent players for Ukraine, who qualified for the quarter-finals of Euro 2020, and the young defender played every minute of every game until the last eight of the final.
Because of this, he was tipped for a transfer to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, but Bournemouth won the race for his signature in 2022 and the Cherries spent €22.7 million to sign him from Dynamo Kiev.
Since then, Zabarnyi has been promoted and his value has skyrocketed.
The Ukrainian was worth €15.4 million when he arrived at Bournemouth according to FootballTransfers’ internal player valuation model, but now his estimated transfer value (ETV) is as high as €34.3 million.
This makes him the most valuable Ukrainian player in the world, ahead of Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko (€31.4 million) and Everton’s Vitaliy Mykolaenko (€28.1 million).
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who joined the Blues in January 2023 for an initial €70 million, is worth just €24.9 million after a poor first year at Stamford Bridge.
Zabarnyi was a key player in Bournemouth’s recent resurgence under Andoni Iraola as the Cherries collected 19 points from the last 24 available in the Premier League.
Their form has seen them climb to 12th in the English league standings and now they want European football instead of fearing relegation.
According to SciSports data analysis experts, Zabarnyi would be perfect for West Ham; Moyes’ side are the best transfer option according to SciSports Career Advice tool.
The Ukrainian would be an instant upgrade on West Ham’s current options and would likely work alongside Nayef Aguerd in the centre of Moyes’ back line should the Hammers decide to transfer.
Furthermore, Lucas Paqueta is the only West Ham player with more potential than Zabarnyi, according to SciSports. The Brazilian currently has a potential rating of 109.9 on SciSkill, while Bournemouth’s potential is 109.6.
West Ham are also interested in Zabarnyi’s teammate Dominic Solanke and although a double attack would not be welcome on the south coast, it would be a great move for West Ham to take their squad to the next level.