While the noise around West Ham United in the late stages of the January transfer window focuses on strengthening the front line, David Moyes rightly wants to focus on new reinforcements in several positions.
Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta are all injured, with the latter not expected to return until March, so it’s no surprise that the Irons are pushing for a deal with Al-Ittihad for Portuguese winger Jota on loan before Thursday’s deadline.
Pablo Fornals is on the verge of a transfer to Real Betis and a £15m deal has been agreed with French club Lyon for the transfer of Said Benrahma, which should make for an interesting arrival, while Kalvin Phillips transferred to the London Stadium from Manchester City on loan last week.
The start to the window has admittedly been slow, but things are now heating up considerably and Moyes could take advantage of the frenetic nature of the closing period of the window with interest in a Premier League star who has not featured yet this season.
West Ham are flirting with a Premier League defender:
Chelsea’s dynamic defender Trevoh Chalobah is on West Ham’s radar, according to Sky Sports correspondent Dharmesh Sheth, and Moyes is eyeing a player who has not been seen this season after recovering from a thigh muscle injury in August.
The Hammers were interested in a Chalobah transfer in the summer, but now could be back in the coming days, with a bid of around £25m made for his sale at the start of the campaign.
Last summer Chelsea set a price of £45m for the 23-year-old but no interested parties reached it, so it is highly unlikely that such a figure will be maintained as Chalobah is on the fringes and has not featured yet this term.
Trevoh Chalobah could be Moyes’ Ibrahima Konate:
Chalobah may not have been in action this season, but he proved to be a versatile and promising Premier League talent for struggling Chelsea last season, with Jacek Kulig praising him for his “ice-cold” clearance.
Chalobah racked up 63 appearances at Stamford Bridge, scoring four goals and proving his adaptability on the pitch with excellent performances in central defence, out wide and in the middle of the park.
According to FBref, the 193 cm tall titan ranks among the top 5% of central defenders in the top 5 European leagues last year in shots, among the top 12% of pass attempts, among the top 17% of progressive passes, among the top 12% of progressive passes, among the top 4% of successful receptions and among the top 7% of defences per 90 minutes.
The £50,000-a-week ace is clearly an excellent distributor and an intelligent and persuasive player. Given that he is considered to be a similar player to Ibrahima Konate, who is a threat to Liverpool, Moyes may have something to gain by monitoring Chalobah’s situation in west London.
Konate joined Liverpool in 2020 after Jurgen Klopp met his £36 million release clause with RB Leipzig, and although the France international has lost fitness, he has been described as an “absolute beast” due to his stunning recent performances.
Joel Matip’s season-ending injury has increased a certain lack of depth in the defensive ranks at Anfield, but Konate’s recent efforts have been crucial to the Premier League leaders’ fight for silverware on several fronts this term.
According to Sofascore, the 24-year-old has completed 89% of his passes in 15 Premier League appearances this season, averaging 0.4 key passes, 1.5 defences and 4.3 balls won per game, while winning 65% of contested duels.
In addition, the 180 cm tall Colossus ranks in the top 20% of players at this position in shot creation, top 9% of pass attempts, top 14% of progressive passes, top 15% of successful ball possessions, top 10% of defensive rebounds and top 8% of game wins per 90 possessions.
There is therefore a clear similarity between Konate and Chalobah, and although the Chelsea player is of a leaner and more robust build, he is nonetheless a tall defender who has in the past been labelled a “soldier” in the back line by former Blues manager Graham Potter for his commanding and combative efforts.
How Chalobah would fit in at West Ham:
A natural and advanced distributor, Chalobah’s forward-thinking approach to the game would be a perfect fit for a Hammers team looking to absorb pressure and redirect the ball down the lines into the danger zone.
Pros:
Passing
Tackling:
Ball retention
Weaknesses:
Concentration
Air duels
[Source – Whoscored]
His tactical intelligence and sharpness of passing are attractive parts of his skill set and although Chelsea were relegated last season, he has managed to showcase the core of his talents in 25 Premier League appearances.
In the 2022/23 campaign, Chalobah completed 89% of his passes, averaged 1.2 tackles and 2.2 clearances per game, and won 63% of his duels along the ground.
While West Ham are prioritising strengthening the front line, it is wise that plans have been put in place to secure the services of talented defender Chalobah, who could emulate Kladivari captain Kurt Zouma in moving to East London and kick-starting his career.