Nicolas Otamendi could be the man to fix West Ham’s defensive frailties

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West Ham United have left a lot to be desired defensively this season.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have had a rollercoaster campaign, but the one constant has been their fragility at the back.

Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Everton (BBC Sport) saw them miss a chance to record only their sixth Premier League clean sheet of the season.

Although Issa Diop and Lukasz Fabianski in particular have been good signings, they have been unable to shore things up at the back for the Irons.

Fabian Balbuena was showing good form, but he sustained a knee injury on December 22 against Watford and has not featured since.

TBR’s view

Somebody who could perhaps be available this summer is Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi, a man Pellegrini obviously knows very well.

The Argentine defender – signed in 2015 for £32 million (BBC Sport) – is believed to be ‘open’ to a transfer away from the Etihad Stadium after falling down the pecking order, as reported by Goal.

The former Valencia man, who made the PFA Team of the Year for 2017/18, is a solid defender with plenty of experience.

He is aggressive in the tackle and fairly good in the air despite not being the tallest. He is also a very good passer of the ball.

If defensive performances do not improve between now and the end of the season, then Pellegrini should consider testing the waters with a bid for his former player.