West Ham United have been linked with a move for Besiktas and Croatia centre-half Domagoj Vida – and the club’s supporters should be hoping a deal can be completed.
The Hammers are short of options at centre-half, with a call all summer long for reinforcements to be added to David Moyes’ side’s rearguard.
As yet there has been no positive news, but the link to Vida is an encouraging one for West Ham.
All three of the Hammers’ current centre-halves are capable on their day of putting in a strong performance, but there is a feeling that there is no defensive leadership in the side’s backline.
Vida is a no-nonsense character with plenty of experience, who reads the game well and has the physical attributes to be a success at West Ham.
With the Hammers side being guilty of lacking fight at times over the last 12 months, the Croatian would not settle for second best and would help to get the best out of his team-mates.
Given the relatively affordable fee being mentioned for West Ham to potentially land Vida, the club needs to work quick before other suitors make the move.
Also, with the Hammers reverting to a back three in the defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, signing an extra defender of quality is a complete must if this system is to be deployed on a more frequent basis.