Swansea defender Joe Rodon passes the ball. (Getty Images)
According to The Guardian (h/t Wales Online), West Ham boss David Moyes is keen to strengthen his defensive options before next month’s deadline and Swansea City starlet Joe Rodon is amongst those under consideration at the London Stadium.
As per the report, the Hammers are yet to make an official approach for the 22-year-old, who is widely regarded as one of the best young centre-backs in the EFL Championship.
Rodon, though, is likely to come with a hefty price tag (h/t Wales Online), so it remains to be seen whether West Ham opt to firm up their interest in the highly-rated Welsh international.
Joe Rodon rose through the youth ranks of Swansea City and impressed for the club’s U-23 side before being loaned out to Cheltenham Town in the League Two to further his development.
The youngster benefitted from the Swans’ relegation to the Championship and went on to enjoy an impressive breakthrough campaign in the second-tier during the 2018-19 season, featuring 27 times under former manager Graham Potter.
The 22-year-old started 20 league games for Swansea last term before having his season cut short by a long-term injury. He didn’t recover in time to feature following the restart in June as Steve Cooper’s side made it through to the promotion playoffs.
However, Rodon has come back fitter and stronger this season and delivered a man-of-the-match performance as Swansea beat Preston 1-0 on the opening day of the Championship.
West Ham conceded as many as 62 goals en route to their 16th-place finish in the PL last season, which was the fourth-worst defensive record in the entire division. Those issues have continued to haunt them in the ongoing campaign as well, with the Hammers conceding 4 goals in back-to-back league defeats against Newcastle United and Arsenal.
To that end, it doesn’t require a rocket scientist to figure out that West Ham desperately need some reinforcements at the back to avoid another relegation scare this time around. While bringing in some immediate cover for Ryan Fredericks at right-back remains a top priority for the Hammers, they also need to upgrade their central defensive ranks.
In Issa Diop, West Ham have a top young centre-back in their ranks, while veteran Angelo Ogbonna remains a reliable figure at the heart of the defence. However, with the latter nearing the twilight of his career at 32 and Fabian Balbuena failing to inspire much confidence, David Moyes currently has some nagging issues to sort out in that department.
Joe Rodon, to that end, would be an excellent signing for the Hammers. The 22-year-old has already earned rave reviews for his rapid development in the Championship and he seems to be at the right stage of his career to make the step up to the top-flight.
The Welshman would add some much-needed depth to West Ham’s backline while ensuring healthy competition for places as Moyes looks to reshuffle his defence in search of some long-term stability.
Joe Rodon remains an exciting prospect with massive potential and West Ham would strike gold if they manage to groom him into a top-quality centre-back in the Premier League. He still has his best years ahead of him, thus making the Welshman well worth a significant outlay in the transfer market.
That, however, shouldn’t deter West Ham’s interest as Rodon looks capable of sorting out their defensive problems for the good part of the next decade.