New West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic is targeting Vedran Corluka, according to The Mirror. The Croatian defender, who has over 80 international caps, currently plies his trade at Lokomotiv Moscow. Whilst Bilic was the manager of Croatia, Corluka was a mainstay in the team and it seems Bilic is eager to re-ignite that relationship.
Corluka is a versatile defender who can play across the back four, but primarily as a centre back. He has sufficient Premier League experience as he has played for Man City and Tottenham Hotspur.
For Man City, he performed consistently and contributed to his side’s 9th place finish. The 29-year-old spent four seasons at White Hart Lane and accumulated a substantial number of matches for them. His versatility has even seen him play as a defensive midfielder on the rare occasion. With free agent Micah Richards set to join Aston Villa, West Ham look ready to pursue other targets.
The Hammers are also hopeful of holding onto Carl Jenkinson for another season. Meanwhile, Mauro Zarate believes he’s been given a lifeline to revive his West Ham career with the arrival of a new manager.
“It is an exciting time for the club and I want to be part of that. I know the new manager had a good relationship with his players at Besiktas and I want to work hard to become a part of his plans. West Ham is still a club that I love. I have been training hard and I am looking forward to showing that I can still be an important player for them.”
