West Ham are looking to sign Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters and Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford this summer.
Walker-Peters has been a key member of Southampton’s team for five years now, playing predominately as a right-back, but also capable of playing left-back.
The 27-year-old is out of contract in the summer and former Hammers scout Mick Brown has already confirmed the club are looking to sign the England international at the end of the season.
The Hammers’ hopes of securing his signature will be boosted by the Saints’ almost guaranteed relegation to the Championship, which presents a stronger chance to sign the player who will undoubtedly be looking to play Premier League football next season.
West Ham have also reportedly showed interest in signing 22-year-old Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, who has been one of the standout performers in the Championship keeping 26 clean sheets this season, ultimately earning him a call-up to the latest England squad.
The Hammers’ chances of signing Trafford will be heavily reliant on whether or not Burnley gain promotion to the Premier League, with the Clarets currently sitting third in the league.
The goalkeeper has been an integral part of a Burnley defence that has conceded only 11 goals this season, making it the best defence in the EFL by some distance.
Should Burnley miss out on promotion, there’s a good chance West Ham could sign the the goalkeeper for less than £20million, with his current market value being just over £15 million. However, it’s not yet clear how much Burnley would be willing to accept for the goalkeeper’s services.
Should West Ham Kyle Walker-Peters and James Trafford?
Both Walker-Peters and Trafford have shown high level performances over the last few years, which has ultimately earned them both England call-ups.
With Walker-Peters being a free agent this summer and a player who is capable of playing both right and left-back, this feels like it would be a smart signing for the Hammers, particularly with the likes of Emerson, Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal all in their 30s and starting to see less and less game time.
A proven Premier League defender who is particularly comfortable on the ball is something that will undoubtedly be of interest to Graham Potter, and I believe this would be an excellent signing for West Ham.
The Hammers are joined by Newcastle in their interest for Trafford, meaning it’s not going to be an easy task to recruit the young goalkeeper.
With Lukasz Fabianski turning 40 next month and out of contract in the summer, it’s clear the Hammers need to sign another goalkeeper, and an in-form, young and talented goalkeeper like Trafford also would prove to be a brilliant bit of business for West Ham.