West Ham United are reportedly continuing to scour the market for potential free agents who could strengthen their defence.
Since the arrival of Julen Lopetegui as head coach, the Hammers have spent freely in an attempt to reclaim a place in the top seven of the Premier League standings.
Lopetegui arguably as a much stronger squad at his disposal than predecessor David Moyes, who won a Europa Conference League trophy during his tenure.
However, West Ham have accumulated just three points from their opening three Premier League fixtures, losing home fixtures to Aston Villa and Manchester City respectively.
As a result, there is pressure on Lopetegui to deliver an upturn in results after the international break in an effort to establish the club in the top half of the table.
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West Ham chasing new centre-back?
At the present time, West Ham only have three experienced centre-backs on their books in Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos; versatile midfielder Edson Alvarez can also play there if required.
The East Londoners allowed Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma to depart on loan during the final days of August, leaving focus to turn to the free agent market.
According to Football Insider, West Ham have registered an interest in former Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip.
Earlier in the summer, it was confirmed that Matip's eight-year stint at Anfield had come to an end, the Cameroonian having won the Premier League and Champions League during his time on Merseyside.
As well as not having a club, the 33-year-old has also not played any football since December courtesy of suffering a serious knee injury.
West Ham are allegedly concerned about taking a risk on Matip for that reason, yet there is known to be admiration for his ability and stature.
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Would Matip be able to break into the starting lineup?
With West Ham having spent £40m on Kilman and committed to paying a similar fee for Todibo next summer, it is clear who the club view as their preferred partnership.
That said, Matip could suit the role of an experienced backup for the time being, particularly when needing to improve his fitness and sharpness as the weeks progress.
Much may depend on whether the two parties can reach a compromise over wages given the expectation that he would be unlikely to play on a weekly basis.
Darren Plant
