West Ham now in "ongoing" talks to sign £5m CB who Kimmich called a "beast"
da spicy bet： West Ham United are now in “ongoing negotiations” over a dealt to sign a new centre-back, who Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich once described as a “beast”.
West Ham keen on new defender despite impressive Forest victory
da dobrowin： West Ham finally got their first win of the new season under their belts on Sunday afternoon, securing a 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest courtesy of late goals from Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson.
Graham Potter will undoubtedly be pleased the three attackers were able to get on the scoresheet, but his side also looked far more solid from a defensive point of view, picking up a first clean sheet, after conceding eight goals in the previous two Premier League games.
Max Kilman was particularly impressive, winning all four of the duels he contested, with Konstantinos Mavropanos also catching the eye in his first league outing this season, making six clearances throughout the match to keep the home side at bay.
However, it is clear that Potter wants to add more defenders to his ranks before the 7pm deadline, with talks ongoing over a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Igor Julio, alongside Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell.
According to an update from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, West Ham are also in “ongoing negotiations” over a deal for S.C. Braga defender Bright Arrey-Mbi, and they are exploring a deadline day deal for the 22-year-old.
It is unclear whether the move for Arrey-Mbi will go through today, but there is clearly firm interest on the Hammers’ behalf, with talks over a deal being opened days ago.
A potential transfer fee is not discussed by Plettenberg, but Braga spending €6m (£5m) to sign the defender from Hannover 96 last summer provides a reference point.
"Beast" Arrey-Mbi could be solid long-term addition for West Ham
The Braga defender, who represents Germany U21s internationally, has been hailed by former teammate Joshua Kimmich in the past, with the Bayern Munich man saying: “Bright is already a beast. You can tell that he uses every muscle on his body. It surprised me in training that he’s not shy at all. He really goes into challenges and has a certain calmness on the ball.”
Since then, the Cameroon-born defender hasn’t exactly kicked on, but he has managed to get a lot more first-team experience under his belt over the previous two seasons, making a combined 47 league appearances across spells with Hannover 96 and Braga.
Given that Arrey-Mbi is yet to prove himself in a major European league, it would make sense to bring in Igor or Cresswell alongside the young defender, but having caught Kimmich’s eye at a young age, he could have what it takes to be a long-term success at the London Stadium.