West Ham are one of the clubs who are interested in signing free-agent winger Nicolas Gaitan, according to a report from Ed Aarons of The Guardian.
Gaitan has been with MLS side Chicago Fire since March but his contract with the Illinois-based club expires in December and although he has an option to extend his deal in the USA for another year, it looks like he wants to return to Europe.
The 31-year-old spent eight years playing in Europe, for Benfica and Atletico Madrid respectively and after a year in China and ten months in America, it looks like he wants to return.
Gaitan, who has been capped 16 times by Argentina, has reportedly held talks with West Ham’s sporting director Mario Husillos about a possible move, but the Hammers could face competition from Aston Villa and Sheffield United if the do make a move, with both clubs also holding an interest in the player.
Read West Ham verdict
Gaitan could be a player that Husillos knows well given their links to Boca Juniours and that could give West Ham an advantage in the race to sign the free agent. However, West Ham do have plenty of attacking options at their disposal and Gaitan may struggle to play regularly at the London Stadium.
Signing a 31-year-old free agent could be a canny move, but there’s a chance that it could end up being a waste of time unless he gets regular game time.
