West Ham target Guillermo Maripan should tick all the boxes

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West Ham are reportedly interested in South American defender Guillermo Maripan from Spanish club Alaves.

According to the Daily Mail, the Hammers are keen on the 24-year-old centre-back and he’s previously been targeted by manager Manuel Pellegrini.

It is understood that Roma are also admirers of the Chile international and have even held talks in recent weeks to move into pole position for his signature.

Maripan has been a key performer this season for an Alaves side that sit fifth in La Liga and have been a surprise package

He is a 6ft 4in giant enforcer that is a commanding figure in defence and strong in the air, but has also been compared to Barcelona’s Gerard Pique due to his quality on the ball.

Pellegrini is known to be a fan of the ball-playing defender and should act quickly by ramping up West Ham’s interest in him.

It would be a sizeable task to fend off Champions League Roma for his signature, but Pellegrini should be a huge pulling factor and also the offer of the Premier League.

The Hammers do need some more centre-back reinforcements at the London Stadium going into next season, as Issa Diop, Fabian Balbuena and Angelo Ogbonna have been the main senior options this year.

Maripan definitely has the potential to be a force in the Premier League and would be a shrewd summer target for the club to pursue, but time may be running out on them.