West Ham will look to bolster their defensive ranks this January, with the club being linked with Norwegian left-back Birger Meling according to the Daily Mail.
Meling, 24, was linked with a move to Celtic in the summer as a replacement for Kieran Tierney, but the Scottish champions elected to sign Greg Taylor from Kilmarnock.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have struggled to get going in the Premier League, sitting 13th with just three wins from their opening 11 games, conceding 17 goals in that time.
That means it’s little surprise that the Chilean wants to add to his defence in the winter transfer window, although they do have good cover at left-back, with both Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku capable of fulfilling that role.
Meling is a full international for Norway, having played 10 times for his country and making over 100 appearances for his current club Rosenborg BK, racking up 19 assists in his time there.
West Ham will be hoping to negotiate a cut-priced deal for the full-back, as his contract with Rosenborg expires in December 2020.
Meling provides a threat going forward from left-back, scoring two and assisting four in 39 appearances for the Norwegian side this season. Indeed, an article from the Herald Scotland back in August wrote of how the player had a better crossing accuracy than Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney last season, a £25m player celebrated for his ability on that front in the Europa League recently.
While the Football Insider reports that the Hammers are planning regular scouting trips to watch Meling in action, their strength in depth at left-back should cast doubt over a move, especially given that Aaron Cresswell signed a new four-year contract at the London Stadium last month.
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