Reputed West Ham United journalist Sam Inkersole has tipped Manuel Pellegrini to sign a new central defender in the near future due to Fabian Balbuena’s astonishing decline.
The 28-year-old proved crucial alongside Issa Diop last season but has barely had a sniff over Angelo Ogbonna this term and his performance in the 4-0 mauling at Oxford United showed why.
Writing for Football.London, Inkersole claims Pellegrini will be hungry for more defensive competition than he currently has in his squad:
Balbuena has declined alarmingly since last season and can barely get a game for the Hammers at the moment, just one minute of Premier League action since August 10 is a testament to that. Pellegrini might want a bit more competition for Ogbonna and Diop than he has right now.
Read West Ham’s verdict
The Paraguay international hasn’t started a single Premier League match since the opening day defeat to Manchester City.
He’s yet to make a single tackle, interception or block in this season and looks nothing like the ‘General’ he was recognised as in the last campaign.
With Winston Reid’s West Ham career also surrounded by question marks, it’d be a wise move for Pellegrini to recruit at least one established centre-back as a new option.
If one of Ogbonna or Diop suffer an injury, there could be serious problems with Lukasz Fabianski currently sidelined too so there may be activity in January.
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