West Ham are reportedly exploring a free-transfer move for Adam Webster as Nuno Espirito Santo looks for defensive cover after relegation to the Championship.
The 31-year-old centre-back is available after leaving Brighton and Hove Albion, where he spent seven years, and has emerged as a possible low-cost option for a Hammers squad expected to change sharply this summer.
Webster has not played for a year because of an ACL injury, so any move would come with an obvious fitness check attached. But the appeal is clear: West Ham need centre-back depth while Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos are both among the defenders expected to attract exit interest.
Why Webster fits the West Ham rebuild conversation
The key detail is the financial shape of the deal. West Ham are trying to reshape a relegated squad without letting the rebuild become wasteful, and a free agent with Premier League experience naturally sits in that bracket.
Webster made more than 100 Brighton appearances after joining from Bristol City in 2019, and his comfort carrying possession from defence would suit a side that cannot afford to become purely reactive next season.
The risk is just as important. A player returning from a long ACL lay-off cannot be treated as a guaranteed starter, and West Ham would need to judge the medical picture carefully before committing wages.
Still, the link underlines the type of market the club may have to use this summer: experienced, affordable and available, according to a fresh update from The Sun.
