West Ham United are interested in signing Mykola Matviyenko in the January transfer window, with Crystal Palace and Burnley among the clubs interested.
According to TEAMtalk, West Ham are “exploring a deal” for Shakhtar Donetsk defender Mykola Matviyenko in the January transfer window.
On September 26, the newspaper reported on their website that the 27-year-old Ukraine international is in the Hammers’ sights for the winter, with his team also considering a move to England.
Sheffield United, Everton, Burnley, and Crystal Palace are among the Premier League clubs rumored to be interested in Matviyenko from Ukraine’s champions.
The defender, who can play centrally or on the left, signed a new contract when interest from Brighton and Brentford fell through in January last season, but a transfer to the Premier League appears to be on the cards again.
During the summer, David Moyes added Konstantinos Mavropanos to his center options, but multiple ties to left-backs failed to materialize.
Because Aaron Cresswell is expected to go sooner or later, serious competition for Emerson will be required, and with plenty of European experience in both the Europa League and the Champions League, a move for Matviyenko could be appealing to the Irons.
With 59 caps for his country, he is the type of senior figure that Moyes values, albeit his lack of English football may count against him in the Scot’s eyes.
With the new contract signed earlier this year to protect his value, it is unlikely to be a cheap move, and there appears to be much competition.
So it seems likely that West Ham will only sign him midseason if they are confident he is the ideal man to help lead them ahead.
It may depend on how the season is shaping up at the time, with the start of the season looking significantly more promising than the majority of last season, even with the two defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool.
The previous window may have only been open for four weeks, but the London Stadium’s recruitment department will be looking ahead, and if Tim Steidten is assigned to the Ukrainian’s case, he may find himself in the capital in the New Year.
In other West Ham news, an update on a crucial player’s contract predicament has emerged.
