Fez – English Premier League club West Ham United is reportedly close to signing Moroccan international and Rennes center-back Nayef Aguerd, according to The Guardian.
News of a possible transfer of the 26-year-old Moroccan defender to the London-based club has been widely circulated in recent weeks, echoing West Ham United’s growing interest in joining the player to their defensive line.
West Ham United has made a bid of €35 million to Rennes to make Aguerd one of their first summer arrivals, The Guardian wrote, stressing that the London-based club is in dire need of a center-back with Aguerd’s profile.
Italian journalist and transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has also said that negotiations between West Ham United and Rennes over the transfer of the Moroccan defender are progressing, with the English club determined to seal the much-needed deal.
Read also: Morocco Defender Nayef Aguerd Set for Premier League Transfer
As West Ham United suffered a run of bad luck in defense this season, the club appeared in desperate need of a left-footed center-defender. According to the Evening Standard, West Ham coach David Moyes regards the Moroccan international as the missing piece in his team’s defensive line.
“Aguerd is known for his dominant aerial presence, ability to read the game and sharp recovery speed,” said the British news website. With Moyes having made the signing of a left-footed center-back a priority, to “bring balance to his backline and also increase the quality and depth of his squad,” the 26-year-old Moroccan defender has emerged as the ideal candidate, it added.
Aguerd has been regarded as a “great” long-term successor for injured 34-year-old Italian Angelo Ogbonna, with West Ham watcher Anthony Martin saying that he “strongly believes” the London club will sign him soon.
The 26-year-old defender has been one of the indispensable players in the Rennes squad this season, making 40 appearances in all competitions.
Aguerd is currently with the Moroccan squad set to participate in the friendly game against the United States early on Wednesday at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Scheduled to kick off at 12:30 a.m. Moroccan time, the game could serve as a perfect warm-up for the Moroccan squad ahead of the Qatar World Cup.
