West Ham United are looking to fill several positions this summer with the new Premier League season kicking off next weekend, and now a fresh update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a transfer target.
What's the latest on West Ham's interest in Trevoh Chalobah?
According to The Guardian reporter Jacob Steinberg, the Hammers are interested in signing Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah.
As per the report, the reliable journalist reveals that Irons boss David Moyes is keen to snap up the services of a right-sided central defender this summer, with Chalobah named as one of the club's targets alongside Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah.
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Meanwhile, it has also been suggested by The Evening Standard that the Blues are likely to command a fee of £45m to part ways with Chalobah.
How good is Trevoh Chalobah?
Whilst the focus remains largely on replacing Declan Rice in the centre of the pitch, there is definitely room for improvement in West Ham's defensive set-up ahead of next season.
The Hammers conceded 13 more league goals than they scored last season and lost 20 of their Premier League fixtures which led to relegation worries and their 14th-place finish, something that must drastically improve if they are to have any chance of competing comfortably in the top-flight.
As a result, the signing of Chalobah could be a great piece of business for the East London club in their pursuit to strengthen their defensive presence and ultimately, improve their performances on the pitch during their upcoming campaign both in the Premier League and on the European stage.
The 24-year-old Chelsea star has great strengths as a ball-playing centre-back – ranking in the top 24% of defenders in the Premier League for pass completion, progressive carries, successful take-ons and touches per 90 minutes played last season, according to FBref.
In fact, Moyes could land his very own Ibrahima Konate, with the Liverpool titan named as the second most comparable player to Chalobah over the last 12 months.
Comparatively, the defensive duo shared a number of similarities in their output last season including pass completion (87.6% v 87%), shot-creation actions per 90 (0.90 v 0.99 and successful take-ons (80% v 71.4%), as well as touches per 90 (1.28 v 1.29), interceptions per 90 (1.28 v 1.34) and clearances per 90 (3.21 v 3.58).
Both Konate and Chalobah stand at 6 foot 3, allowing them to use their towering stature to dominate opponents, whilst also demonstrating clear strengths in their ability to progress the ball forward too.
Former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard waxed lyrical about Chalobah's contribution and work ethic during his time working with the former England U21 defender last season:
"He’s such a selfless lad. He doesn’t say ‘I want to play in this position.'
"He’s a delight to train with every day because he comes in with an enthusiasm, low maintenance, and when you talk about the things you want, he tries to do them on the pitch, which is a great thing."
Not only that, Chalobah offers versatility in his positioning which could prove to be incredibly valuable to Moyes next season, with 87 appearances over his career so far playing in defensive midfield, as well as being comfortably deployed on either side of the centre-back partnership.
With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for West Ham to secure Chalobah's signature this summer, as his Premier League experience and quality could help him flourish and make an instant impact at the London stadium next season.
