West Ham target CJ Egan-Riley is set to join Strasbourg on a free transfer, according to reports.
The Hammers were hopeful of snapping up the centre-back from Burnley when his contract expires at the end of the month.
However, TEAMtalk claim that Strasbourg are now “expected” to secure his signature, which will no doubt come as a blow to head coach Graham Potter.
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Egan-Riley was one of Burnley’s standout performers as he helped the Clarets regain their top-flight status last season. Scott Parker’s side gained automatic promotion, finishing 2nd in the Championship table, having conceded just 16 goals in 46 games.
Why is the defender moving to France?
It should be pointed out that Strasbourg are owned by Blueco, which means they are essentially a feeder club for Chelsea.
Egan-Riley’s decision may have been influenced by the prospect of making the leap to Stamford Bridge in the future. A former mentor from his Manchester City days, Joe Shields, has managed to persuade several ex-City academy players to join the Blues in recent years, including Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Tosin Adarabioyo and Liam Delap.
Are West Ham targeting any other centre-backs?
Ironically, the Irons were hopeful of signing another centre-half from Strasbourg, Ismael Doukoure, but he could well move to Chelsea this summer, with Egan-Riley potentially taking his place.
Head of Recruitment Kyle Macaulay (who also previously worked for the Blues) has identified alternatives, one of which is believed to be Monaco’s Soungoutou Magassa.
However, the Frenchman played most of his football in midfield last season, and his lack of experience of English football could also count against him. West Ham are clearly finding it difficult to find the right targets, especially with a limited budget.
In other news, former West Ham assistant manager Stuart Pearce has backed the club to sign a Liverpool midfielder