West Ham now interested in surprise move for “magnificent” £12m defender

West Ham United are now interested in a surprise move for a “magnificent” defender who plays for one of their major rivals, according to a report.

Hammers planning for the summer

It has not been the best of starts for Graham Potter at the London Stadium, with his side losing a second game on the spin on Saturday afternoon, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at home to Brentford.

Given what he’s seen so far, Potter may be keen to reshape his squad this summer, and West Ham have a number of targets in mind, with new arrivals being considered in multiple positions.

Malaga winger Antonio Cordero is one of the players on the shortlist, with the Hammers making contact to hold talks with his camp, while they are also said to be readying a move for Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios.

The Irons have been particularly poor from a defensive point of view this season, shipping 47 goals already, so Potter may also want to strengthen his defence in the summer transfer window.

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According to a report from GiveMeSport, West Ham have a new target in mind to strengthen their backline, having now joined the race to sign Millwall’s Japhet Tanganga, who is attracting the attention of a number of Premier League clubs.

Having impressed in the Championship, Tanganga is now a target for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ipswich Town and Southampton, with scouts set to watch him in action in Millwall’s FA Cup tie against Crystal Palace.

During the winter transfer window, the Hammers’ rivals placed a £12m price tag on the defender, which was enough to deter Sheffield United from making a move, but he is keen to earn himself a move back to the Premier League.

Tanganga impressing in the Championship

The London-born centre-back has established himself as a key player for Millwall this season, having made 29 appearances in the Championship, and he was previously lauded as “magnificent” by Alan Shearer during his time with Tottenham Hotspur.

Over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks highly on some key defensive metrics when compared to his positional peers, ranking in the 82nd percentile for aerial duels won and the 77th percentile for clearances.

As such, it is little wonder the former Spurs man is in line to earn himself a move back to the Premier League, but there are some doubts over whether he would be a suitable signing for the Hammers.

Tanganga never managed to establish himself as a first-team regular for Tottenham, and the fact he had to drop down to the Championship is perhaps a sign he is not at the level required to help get West Ham back in contention for Europe.