Salzburg's Danish defender Rasmus Kristensen (L) and RC Genk's Belgian midfielder Dieumerci Ndongala vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group E football match Salzburg v Genk in Salzburg, Austria. (Getty Images)
Back in January, The Sun had claimed that West Ham made a bid of around £4.5million for Red Bull Salzburg’s Rasmus Kristensen. However, no move materialized as Red Bull Salzburg failed to bring in a replacement before the winter transfer window deadline day.
Rasmus Kristensen, 22, only joined RB Salzburg from Ajax last summer but has endured an injury-hit debut campaign in Austria, limiting him to just 17 appearances across all competitions. He only managed nine league appearances and last played for Salzburg in the 5-1 win over WSG Tirol in December 2019.
Meanwhile, West Ham are currently 16th in the league table. They have been defensively awful this season, leaking a whopping 50 goals in just 29 games. The east London outfit’s problems at the back have been exposed time and again, with none of the defenders performing consistently.
The Hammers’ lack of quality and depth in defence clearly indicates that they need to bring in young defenders to the squad. Regardless of what West Ham’s status is at the end of the season, the manager must prioritize reinforcing the backline. And in addition to a central defender, they must also recruit a new right-back.
Ryan Fredericks has been extremely disappointing since making his switch on a free transfer from Fulham to West Ham in the summer of 2018. His performances have been underwhelming, while the 27-year-old has also struggled with fitness this term. Pablo Zabaleta, 35, has entered the twilight of his career and cannot carry the burden alone any more.
Jeremy Ngakia has impressed since making his debut against Liverpool in January. He has played four league games till now, however, the full-back is just 19 and the manager shouldn’t put too much pressure on the youngster.
Thus, the right-back really is an area of weakness for West Ham and they would do a wise job by rekindling their interest in Rasmus Kristensen during the summer transfer window.
Kristensen moved to RB Salzburg from Ajax in the summer, where he was part of the squad that won the Eredivisie title. He may have not had an ideal campaign in Austria and is a totally unproven commodity in the Premier League, but the Dane is a very talented footballer and also has a lot of room for development.
His inclusion in the squad would certainly bring in healthy competition. He was enjoying an impressive debut season with Salzburg before a knee injury halted his progress.
The 22-year-old can also play in an advanced role down the right flank and such versatility is always beneficial to a team and West Ham would not be an exception. Plus, Kristensen is at an age where he should go on to improve with experience.
Kristensen can only get better by playing at a higher level. He has the qualities to thrive in the Premier League and thus, West Ham must secure his services this summer.
