Reid’s signed! Now for West Ham to concentrate on one of these five?

With Winston Reid signing a new six-and-a-half year deal at West Ham, there are three centre half’s at the club that are truly capable of performing at the highest level.

Winston Reid has the power, presence and pace to easily cope with the likes of Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa bearing down on him.

Meanwhile, James Tomkins, another who has committed his future to the club, has got the composure to deal with the hardest of situations, while James Collins is prepared to his body on the line in order to keep the opposition at bay.

Overall, Reid, Collins and Tomkins have accumulated a combined total of 419 appearances in the famous claret and blue shirt.

However, these players are not going to be at the club forever, and with a glimmer of hope of getting into the Europa League still alive and the Hammers still trying to live up to the name of the ‘Academy of Football’, here are a few centre half’s that could fit in nicely at West Ham.

Click on the Boleyn Ground to reveal

Reece Burke

The young 18-year-old defender has been making huge strides with the Hammers, and is tipped to be a regular first team starter sooner rather the later.

Burke has already played first team football at Upton Park, after he was involved in the Capital One Cup loss at the hands of Sheffield United way back in August. Before the start of the season, Burke bagged the winner in the Marathon Bet Cup win against Italian outfit Sampdoria.

There is no doubt that Burke is in line to become the ‘next James Tomkins’, and involving him in the first team set up next season will no doubt enhance his potential.

Reece Oxford

Much like Burke, Reece Oxford has had nothing from praise after breaking into the West Ham development squad at just 16 years old.

Oxford was on the bench for the Capital One Cup game against Sheffield United, when he was still 15, while he also made his U18 debut in 2014 while still an U15 schoolboy.

Oxford then went onto make his development squad debut in the same year, and has also captained the England U17 at the Nordic tournament.

The likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool were all looking to snap up the talented teenager, but Oxford rejected there advances and signed a new contract at the club at the start of 2015.

If Oxford is getting so much praise from the likes of academy manager Terry Westley and U21 boss Steve Potts, as well as Sam Allardyce, then the next campaign could see the emergence of a world class centre back.

Hector Moreno

This 27-year-old has got both Europa League and Champions League experience with Duthc outfit AZ Alkmaar, and is now playing for Spanish side Espanyol where he comes up against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on a regular basis.

Moreno, who was also part of Mexico’s solid performance at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, has caught the attention of the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the past. In his debut season at Espanyol, Moreno was voted the Player of the Year, playing 35 games.

For someone with that ability and European experience, Moreno should e a priority signing if the Hammers get into the Premier League.

Doneil Henry

Splashing the cash is not always the answer in order to find a quality player. One player that recently joined the West Ham revolution was 2012 Canadian U20 Player of the Year Doneil Henry.

Henry, who signed for Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers on a month’s loan on Tuesday evening, joined the Hammers on the 3rd January from Apollon Limassol of Cyprus.

Henry was also heavily involved in FC Toronto’s three straight Canadian championships wins between 2010-2012, and made 92 appearances for the Reds during that time.

Recommended by former Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Nelsen, with Big Sam managing the former Rovers captain while in charge in 2011, Henry also starred for Canada in the 2013 CONCAF Gold Cup tournament in the USA.

Based on the recommendation of an experienced and great servant to the Premier League, Henry looks like a good acquisition for the future.

Virgil Van Dijk

After arriving in Great Britain from Dutch side FC Groningen in 2013, Virgil Van Dijk was rather an unknown figure.

Now, the Netherlands international is one of the sought after defenders due to his remarkable displays for the 45 Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.

In his debut season with Ronny Deila’s side, Van Dijk was voted the Players’ Player of the Year, and was also part of the defence that went 1,215 minutes without conceding a goal.

It’s safe to say that Van Dijk is very capable of playing at a much higher level, but West Ham will face stiff competition for his signature as a host of big names are circling like vultures.

What a great signing it would be, especially if the Hammers gain a Europa League spot.