West Ham have joined the race to land Nottingham Forest defender Joe Worrall.
That’s according to the Daily Mirror, cited by Football League World, who claim that the Hammers have joined Arsenal, Norwich City and Sheffield United in the race to sign the 22-year-old.
Football Insider reported back in November that Forest value their academy product in excess of £10m, so the Hammers would have to make an eight-figure offer if they are to be successful in their pursuit of the defender.
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Worrall has been one of Forest’s top performers this season, but whether or not he’s up to the demanding levels of the Premier League remains to be seen.
That being said, Worrall has put some impressive numbers on the board compared to West Ham’s defensive duo of Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna, via Whoscored.com.
The Forest man averages 3.5 aerial duels won per game, more than Diop’s 2.5 and Ogbonna’s 2.9.
He’s also conceded the least fouls of the three, penalised just 0.4 times each game, with Diop and Ogbonna averaging 1.1 and 0.7 fouls respectively.
Finally, in the clearance count, Worrall also leads the way. He averages 5.4 clearances a game, more than Diop’s 3.7 and Ogbonna’s 4.5.
Of course, Worrall is plying his trade in the second tier, but those numbers from the last six months could be the reason why the Hammers are reportedly keen on the defender’s services.
Diop has been linked with a move to Chelsea recently, with the Blues thought to be preparing a £40m move for the Frenchman.
If he does leave the London Stadium, then the stats show that Worrall could be a suitable replacement.
We’d find it a surprise if Forest are willing to part ways with Worrall though, which would more than likely cause chaos at the City Ground if he did depart.
