West Ham United are moving in a new direction under new head coach Julen Lopetegui after a few years under ex-Manchester United boss David Moyes. To his credit, the Scottish football manager took the Hammers as far as he could.
However, it became clear that Moyes’ West Ham had hit a ceiling. Whatever he did, there was no way he was going to get them better by playing the pragmatic style of football that they used to. A change was needed in London.
Enter, Lopetegui. The ex-Real Madrid coach comes with a very clear identity of how he wants his team to play. Coming from the Spanish school of coaching, there is a huge emphasis on possession and building out from the back.
To build out from the back, West Ham need a ball-playing central defender. Kurt Zouma was not the answer. The ex-Chelsea academy graduate is now closing in on a move to Shabab Al-Ahli as he no longer features in Lopetegui’s plans.
With Zouma expected to depart, West Ham needed a replacement, and it looks like they’ve found the perfect one! According to reliable Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Tim Steidten, the Hammers sporting director is traveling to Nice to hijack Juventus’ deal for Jean-Clair Todibo with a €40m offer (plus add-ons).
The ex-Barcelona defender is very good on the ball and can play his way out of pressure. He is also a physical monster and has what it takes to be a top-brass Premier League defender. A case can be made that he must be playing for a top club in the league.
Yes, his time at Barcelona did not work out but ever since, Todibo has grown immensely with respect to his game. He was one of the best central defenders in Ligue 1 for two seasons in a row and it’s time for the big move.
It shows the kind of person Todibo is to choose a move to West Ham and be a part of an exciting project when he is in a position where he can take his pick from the crème de la crème of Europe. This is a huge coup for Lopetegui in his first season with the Hammers and let’s hope they can get this deal over the line.
