Summary The reason Harry Maguire isn't signing for West Ham has been revealed. The Hammers have lined up an alternative, including a promising £29m defender. He's one of the best progressive centre-backs in Europe.
West Ham United have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Harry Maguire and thus, need to think about making alternative plans.
Who could West Ham sign instead of Harry Maguire?
According to the Guardian, Bayer Leverkusen titan Odilon Kossounou has emerged as an option for the Hammers due to a delay in Harry Maguire’s proposed move to east London.
West Ham have become increasingly concerned about the delay in the Englishman’s transfer and the club has begun drawing up different targets.
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David Moyes has pushed for Maguire all summer and the Hammers agreed a £30m deal for the 30-year-old last week.
However, the move is to have ‘collapsed’ as West Ham have grown ‘tired’ of waiting for the defender to agree to his Old Trafford exit.
Maguire had settled personal terms but was unable to finalise his pay-off from United, which is thought to be around £7m, as he received a considerable salary increase due to the club’s qualification for the Champions League.
Moreover, there also is a ‘feeling’ within the Irons’ recruitment department that the club would benefit from a quicker centre-back, which has prompted an approach for Kossounou.
What is Odilon Kossounou's play style?
The 22-year-old has been at Bayer Leverkusen since 2021 and has 69 appearances in all competitions.
In the most recent campaign, Kossounou played 35 games, including 17 starts in the Bundesliga.
Throughout this time, the £27k-per-week gem’s most impressive attribute was his ball-playing ability and composure, as he ranks within the best 7% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries per 90, as well as the top 16% for progressive passes and successful take-ons per 90.
Alongside this vision and technical supremacy, £29m-rated Kossounou also won 64% of his aerial duels in the Bundesliga last term, and due to his age and potential, has emerged as one of the club’s most attractive assets.
Furthermore, the centre-back has also deputised at right back 16 times for the Germans, as his adaptability is another one of the most eye-catching elements of his game.
This was noted by his former coach Gerardo Seoane, who said: “Odilon naturally interprets the right-back position differently than Jeremie [Frimpong] due to his own qualities. The switch from a CB position to that of a roving fullback is actually a fairly large one, but he can adapt quickly.
"Thanks to him we can play a three, four, or five-man back-line. It's hard to get past him, but he's also fast and very valuable on set pieces."
From this evidence, Kossounou is a technically astute, pacey, dynamic, and versatile defender – traits that cannot be associated with Maguire.
Since his record-breaking Premier League move to Man United back in 2019, the former Leicester City man has struggled with the spotlight and the weight of the captaincy, which has led to a severe decline in his form.
Last season, Maguire started just eight Premier League games, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez considered to be the cemented first-choice partnership by Erik ten Hag.
This term, in the opening game week victory over Wolves, Martinez was hooked at half-time after being carded, with ten Hag opting for Lindelof as a replacement.
It was a damning indictment for Maguire, who has been stripped as captain and now ranks as the club’s fourth-choice centre-back.
Although he has stalled his move to West Ham, the feeling of the hierarchy that alluded to his lack of pace could indicate that they could make a more intelligent signing.
This has opened the door for Kossounou, whose signing would signal the perfect alternative for the Hammers.