With Italian international defender Angelo Ogbonna signed from Juventus this week, we got to speak with Italian football journalist David Amoyal, part of the Gianluca Di Marzio group, about what exactly West Ham are getting in the 27-year-old.
When Juventus signed Ogbonna, he was quite highly-rated at Torino. Why hasn’t it worked out for him in Turin?
When Antonio Conte was coaching Juventus he pushed hard for the club to sign Ogbonna. Conte was looking for a versatile defender at the time and Ogbonna fit the bill since he could play as both a centre back and left back. In his first season at Juve, Ogbonna was mainly a backup but injuries forced him to play in some big matches where he lost his confidence. Ogbonna came from Torino who used a 4 man defence, to Conte’s 3 5 2- that switch may have contributed to his struggles.
At a reported fee of €10m, does this represent good value?
I think the transfer fee is good value for both Juventus and West Ham. Juventus gets almost all of their money back on paper (they made a profit if you consider amortisation, something Juve values very much) and for West Ham it’s a good deal too since Premier League clubs benefit very much from the huge TV deal. I’ve seen players with less upside move in the EPL for considerably more.
MORE: Why Angelo Ogbonna’s arrival from Juventus WILL be a catalyst for future success for West Ham.
What are Ogbonna’s strengths and weaknesses?
Ogbonna is a versatile player who can play as a centre back and left back, he also has experience in both a 4 man and 3 centre back defence. Ogbonna has played in big matches with Juventus in the Champions League as well as with Italy.
Ogbonna has struggled with faster attackers, he also has come off as lazy at times and is known for not having great positioning.
Were there many other clubs interested in Ogbonna?
Ogbonna was linked to Bologna in Italy as well as Everton in England, but West Ham provided the best deal for Juventus and the player.
Do you think Ogbonna can cope in the Premier League?
I’ve seen many far worse defenders than Ogbonna starting regularly in the Premier League. He is a tall and strong defender who is probably better suited to EPL than Serie A.
