Home » Teams » West Ham United » West Ham signing this 26-year-old beast tearing the MLS apart for £4m would be a solid statement of intent

West Ham signing this 26-year-old beast tearing the MLS apart for £4m would be a solid statement of intent

West Ham Opinion: Why Aaron Long would be a good buy for the Hammers?

According to a report from the Sky Sports, West Ham have been offered a chance to sign New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long.

Long, 26, was named the defender of the year in Major League Soccer in 2018 and has since been playing regularly for Red Bulls in the current 2019 campaign, appearing 15 times across all competitions and scoring one goal in the process. Fiorentina and Lyon also want the USA international, who has been with his current club since 2016.

The report claims that the defender has a release clause of £4m in his contract at Red Bulls, which West Ham would have to trigger to bring him over to England before the transfer window slams shut.

The Hammers have splashed a lot of money this summer transfer window, with Pablo Fornals and Sebastien Haller being the notable arrivals.

Fornals and Haller were signed in a bid to bolster the attacking department but with only a few weeks remaining until the transfer window closes, Manuel Pellegrini needs to bring in a couple of defenders.

In Issa Diop, Fabian Balbuena, Angelo Ogbonna and Winston Reid, the East Londoners have decent options in central defence. But what the squad lack is depth in that position and as Reid has just made his return after 14 months on the sidelines with a nasty knee injury, Pellegrini cannot take a chance going into the new season.

Aaron Long could be a smart buy for West Ham. He was in excellent form for the Red Bulls last season and also earned him a call-up to the USA national team. He made his debut for his country last year and has since earned 11 caps, scoring two goals.

To Read More West Ham News, Click Here:- Latest West Ham News

The USA international certainly has the quality to shine in the Premier League. He is regarded as one of the best defenders in the MLS and would definitely improve West Ham’s squad.

In Balbuena and Diop, Pellegrini has a fine central pairing to put his trust in. With Long in the ranks, Pellegrini would have a reliable option to rotate with it times of need.

Verdict

With that £4million release clause in his contract, Long could turn out to be one of the best bargain deals of this summer for West Ham.