West Ham manager David Moyes has praised defender Nayef Aguerd for one key reason as he makes an intriguing transfer claim on the Morocco international.

The Lowdown: Aguerd absence...

The centre-back, signed from Rennes in a £30 million deal last summer, has been absent from West Ham's season for the vast majority of 2021/2022.

In total, Aguerd has missed around 15 Premier League games through injury since putting pen to paper on a transfer to east London - much to the frustration of Moyes and supporters.

The African, however, is now becoming a West Ham mainstay - starting their last three league matches and putting in a brilliant FA Cup display against Derby County.

The Latest: Moyes praises Aguerd...

Speaking after the win over Derby, Moyes heaped praise on Aguerd and drew particular attention to his 'stylish' play, also revealing that the Irons had been chasing the player for ages.

The Scotsman explained (via The Evening Standard):

"We really wanted to buy him two years ago.

“He’s a really good player, really good on the ball, stylish. He’s got some really good attributes and I think he will big a plus to us.”

The Verdict: Right to be impressed...

The 26-year-old, despite suffering reoccurring injuries at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar also, managed to contribute to their semi-final run in parts.

As per WhoScored, Aguerd averaged their joint-second highest rate of clearances per 90 at the tournament whilst also making Morocco's third-most blocks per match as well.

This was perhaps a glimpse into the player's defensive qualities with Aguerd now seriously coming into his own at West Ham.

Moyes also had praise for the ex-Ligue 1 star after his performance against Everton in a crunch relegation encounter, branding Aguerd's display as his 'best' for West Ham to date.

If the central defensive ace continues in this form injury free, Irons supporters could be about to see a key player emerge.