Forget Lamine Kone: West Ham should instead sign 1 of these 4 centre backs
West Ham United have recently been linked with a move for Lamine Kone.
The Mirror are reporting that West Ham are leading the chase for the Sunderland defender with West Brom also interested.
Lamine Kone is rated at £15m by Sunderland but the Hammers are hoping to get him for £10m.
Personally, I do not think we need another centre back.
Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna are a solid pairing while James Collins provides adequate back-up.
Jose Fonte has had a difficult start to life at West Ham but his performances improved when we moved to a back 3.
With youngsters like Reece Burke, Reece Oxford and Declan Rice waiting in the wings too, I would prioritise other positions.
However, since we are being linked with so many centre backs, perhaps Slaven Bilic is set to offload one or two of our current options.
If so, West Ham should still avoid a deal for Lamine Kone.
His performances last season were evidence that he is not worth £15m nor is he good enough to improve our squad.
If we do want to sign a centre half this summer, we should consider these options instead…
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Chris Smalling
West Ham have recently been linked with a move for Manchester United defender Chris Smalling.
If we are in the market for a new centre back, then the England international has to be up towards the top of our list.
The 27-year-old has experience of playing at the top level domestically and in Europe.
With the reported price tag between £10m-£15m, Smalling is a much better option than Kone for this money.
Kurt Zouma
If West Ham are looking for a quick fix at the back, signing Kurt Zouma could be a great option.
The Frenchman is clearly very talented but has been held back be injuries.
Chelsea are willing to let him leave on loan this summer so that he can get a full season of regular playing time under his belt.
West Ham would be a good destination for the 22-year-old to grow as a player and stake his claim for a place in Chelsea’s 2018/19 squad.
Jonny Evans
Leicester City are trying to sign Jonny Evans from West Brom and the Hammers should join that race if we want a centre back.
The Northern Ireland international is likely to be available for a similar price to Kone, if not cheaper, and he is a much better player than the Sunderland defender.
With experience of playing at Manchester United, Evans is a seasoned Premier League performer who regularly turns in reliable displays for West Brom.
The 29-year-old still has several years left in him so he could be a shrewd addition if we move quickly.
Calum Chambers
Calum Chambers is one of the country’s best young defensive talents but he is not getting a look-in at Arsenal.
While we may not need a centre back quite so imminently, we should definitely move for the England under-21 international if he became available for transfer.
Calum Chambers was one of Middlesbrough’s best players last season and they may have survived relegation if it wasn’t for his injury.
The 22-year-old is likely to be in high demand this summer so West Ham should act quickly if we want to beat other sides to his signing.