West Ham United have overtaken Premier League rivals Crystal Palace to sign Juventus defender Koni De Winter this summer, according to reports.
What's the latest on De Winter to West Ham?
The Belgian first joined the Allianz Stadium’s U17s back in 2018 and has since worked his way up through the ranks to become a feature of their reserve side, as per Transfermarkt. The Italian giants’ centre-back is currently out on a season-long loan at Empoli to gain some valuable first-team experience, where in his 11 Serie A starts and two substitute appearances, via WhoScored, have been attracting interest from England.
Calciomercato recently credited the Irons with an interest in the 20-year-old, who is valued at €15m (£13m), claiming that they were 'ready to knock' on Juve's door, but weren’t alone in their pursuit, with Southampton and Palace also monitoring his situation. Now, though, David Moyes has since been handed a huge boost…
According to Tutto Juve (via Sport Witness), West Ham are still “very much keen” on De Winter and have overtaken the Eagles, whose interest has “slowed down”. Roy Hodgson replacing Patrick Vieira is listed as a potential reason for this, but it’s stated that the veteran’s side are “no longer” as attracted as they once were.
The London Stadium outfit have therefore received the “good news” and are set to face less competition in the top flight for their target’s signature during the upcoming transfer window – though it’s worth noting that Monza and Sassuolo are admirers outside of the Premier League.
Should West Ham make a move for De Winter?
Standing at 6 foot 2, De Winter has been lauded as a “strong” centre-back by former Juventus vice-president Pavel Nedved and adds a physical presence to the backline with his height, so we think West Ham should definitely consider making an offer.
The Antwerp native currently ranks in the 98th percentile for clearances among players in his position in Europe's top competitions over the past year, showing that he’s a no-nonsense defender and isn’t afraid to clear the danger, alongside recording an 85.3% pass success rate, highlighting his composure on the ball.
The Belgian U21s international would also bring plenty of versatility to E20 having previously operated at right-back and slightly higher up in defensive midfield outside of his natural position, which is likely to be an attractive attribute to Moyes – so we believe this really is a no-brainer of a deal to complete.
