West Ham opinion: Should the Hammers sign Hasan Ali Kaldirim?

According to a report from BBC, West Ham United are interested in signing Fenerbahce’s skipper Hasan Ali Kaldirim in the summer. The report reveals that the Hammers have spoken to the Turkish international’s agent and he has a release clause in his contract which makes him available for just £4.42million this summer.

A left-back by trade, Kaldirim has been used further up the pitch on a number of occasions in his career so far and he has excelled in that position. The 29-year-old is also capable of playing as a central defender which makes him a valuable asset to any side thanks to his versatility.

However, at 29 years of age, Kaldirim will be a massive gamble for the Hammers, especially due to his inexperience in the toughest league in the world. The Premier League is one of the most unforgiving competitions in world football and the Hammers cannot afford to take that risk for a player of his age.

West Ham already have Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku in their ranks, who are both capable of executing the same roles as the experienced Turk. Cresswell has been a regular in the Hammers squad for some time now and has done very well when played regularly.

The 29-year-old is a solid player, both in attack and defensively, and signing Kaldirim will only sideline Cresswell next season. Masuaku, on the other hand, has been improving for West Ham in recent years.

The Frenchman is a real menace in the attack, thanks to his pace and dribbling. His incredible strength on the ball makes it very difficult for the opponent to stop him and he is too valuable an asset for the Hammers to offload.

Masuaku has had his worries defensively, where he has often been caught out due to his positional indiscipline. The Frenchman often makes it up with his pace to get back in position but the little lack of concentration has cost the Hammers at times.

However, Masuaku is an able backup to Cresswell and has this ability to do a decent job whenever he is brought on. The duo totally eliminates the need for a new left-back, especially when the reported target, who in this case is Kaldirim, is a downgrade to what West Ham have.

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Conclusion

As small an amount as £4.42 million is in today’s inflated transfer market, spending that on Hasan Ali Kaldirim would be a total waste of money for the Hammers, who at no cost should pursue their reported interest in him in the summer.