Report: West Ham now want £13m Englishman in January

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West Ham United are looking to bolster their defensive ranks in January and have now set eyes on landing Bournemouth defender, Lloyd Kelly, during the January window.

That’s according to The Telegraph, who claim the Hammers see Kelly as the ideal signing to help with their raft of defensive injuries. Key players such as Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma are out for the foreseeable. That has forced David Moyes’ hand, and he’s now keen on the Cherries ace.

Kelly, 23, signed for Bournemouth for £13m back in 2019. Since then, he’s gone from strength to strength and this season, has played a key role in helping the Cherries into the promotion places. However, his form has also seen interest increase, with West Ham now at the forefront of that interest.

The defender, who is left-footed, has skippered Bournemouth on 13 occasions this term. Coincidentally, his absence in recent weeks has come at the same time as their poor run of form. He did, however, play 90 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough last week.

West Ham are currently fighting for Europe once again. The club are expected to back Moyes in January, if the right player becomes available.

TBR’s View: Lloyd Kelly A Smart Signing For West Ham

This is exactly the sort of player the Hammers need. Kelly is good enough to step in now as a fire fighter for Moyes but in the long-term, is more than capable of being a mainstay.

Of course, Bournemouth won’t want to sell. But every player has a price, and if Premier League wages come knocking then Kelly might fancy the move as well.

The Hammers do need to cover for Zouma and Ogbonna. Looking in the Championship, then, might be the best course of action. And in Lloyd Kelly, they’d be getting one of the very best from that level.