West Ham Opinion: Nicolas Otamendi would be an ideal signing for the Hammers
According to claims from Marca, Man City centre-back Nicolas Otamendi might head for the exit door at the Etihad come the end of the season, with West Ham and Wolves believed to be amongst the clubs who are interested in securing the services of the 31-year-old Argentinian international.
The same source reports that Otamendi is frustrated with his lack of regular minutes at Man City under Pep Guardiola and he is concerned that his lack of involvement might endanger his chances of retaining a spot in Argentina’s national team.
Marca also understands that the 31-year-old has big-money offers from China on the table, though he is likely to stay in the Premier League and compete at the highest level. Wolves and West Ham are two teams who are interested in offering him an escape route, with both the Nuno Santo and Manuel Pellegrini looking to bolster their ranks in the summer.
Otamendi, who made his move to Man City from Valencia for a fee of £32 million back in 2015, played a key role in the Citizens’ march to Premier League glory last season but he has slipped down the pecking order at the club this time around, with Guardiola favouring the likes Vincent Kompany, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte in central defence.
He has made a total of 31 appearances for City in all competitions this season but has started only 14 games in the Premier League, which is a significant dip in involvement given that he started on 33 occasions in the league last time.
Wolves’ interest in Otamendi comes as little surprise given that the 31-year-old is represented by Iberian super agent Jorge Mendes, who already has a number of clients plying their trade at Molineux under Nuno Santo. On the other hand, Otamendi might also be interested in reuniting with his former City manager Pellegrini at West Ham, the man who was responsible for bringing him to English football back in 2015.
To put things into perspective, Otamendi is one of the best centre-backs around in Europe even at the age of 31 and he would be an ideal signing for both the aforementioned clubs but West Ham should look to have the final say in this transfer tug of war.
The Hammers spent a fortune last summer when Pellegrini took charge but they have looked quite vulnerable defensively in the Premier League this season.
West Ham were in the race for securing a Europa League qualification spot even a month back but an inconsistent run of form has seen the east Londoners slip to 11th in the standings, below the likes of Wolves, Watford, Everton and Leicester City.
The Hammers have managed to get the better of top-six sides like Arsenal, Spurs and Man United this season but they just haven’t been consistent enough to make it to Europe.
While a prolific No.9 should be high on Pellegrini’s wishlist for the summer, the Chilean should also be aware of the lack of depth and quality in his options at the heart of the defence.
Issa Diop has established himself as an ever-present at the back since his arrival last summer but the likes of Angelo Ogbonna and Fabian Balbuena have proven to be anything but reliable. Winston Reid hasn’t played a game all season and he has turned into a forgotten figure at the London Stadium.
West Ham would hardly find a better option that Otamendi in their bid to shore up their leaky backline that has crumbled under pressure far too often. The tough-tackling Argentinian defensive wall still has 2-3 years of top-flight football left in him and the Hammers should relish having his reliable and authoritative presence at the back for the upcoming campaign.
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Hence, it should be a virtual no-brainer for Pellegrini to strike a deal for the 31-year-old and reunite with his former player at the London Stadium this summer.
