West Ham United are 'exploring' a late loan deal to sign Southampton defender Jan Bednarek as club insider Claret & Hugh share an update out of Rush Green.
The Lowdown: Defender crisis
Amid a defensive injury 'crisis' in east London, players like Craig Dawson are just now slowly returning to full fitness but the likes of Nayef Aguerd are still unavailable and Angelo Ogbonna's fitness is still a question mark (C&H).
What's more, Dawson has been linked with a possible late move away from West Ham to be closer to his family (Sky Sports via Talking Wolves), a move which would leave manager David Moyes even more short of options.
The Premier League side have completed a plethora of major signings already this summer, most recently a head-turning deal for Brazil international Lucas Paqueta, but they still may not be done there.
The Latest: West Ham explore late Bednarek deal...
According to a club insider, the Hammers are looking at Bednarek as a possible late solution.
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Reports of interest first broke earlier this week, and Claret and Hugh explain that West Ham, and head of recruitment Rob Newman by extension, are indeed 'exploring a loan move' for the Pole amid their defensive issues.
The centre-back situation has apparently motivated them to look at the temporary deal market with Bednarek made available by his club.
The Verdict; Right call?
The 26-year-old actually ranked as one of Southampton's top five best performers domestically last season whilst making more clearances and interceptions per 90 than any Saints player (WhoScored).
Numbers like these could make one question why Bednarek has been made available in these last days of the window, but amid West Ham's troubles at the back, he could be a solid rotational option.
Called 'underrated' by members of the media, a potential loan deal would also pose little risk financially.