So, we’ve done the goalkeepers, now let’s look at our crop of central defenders and see who we should keep or who we should sell. The key thing here is that we need to improve on what we have.
James Collins
Much as I’d have loved to retain James Collins’s services on a ‘pay as you play’ basis, we have to face the fact that he’s 35 in August. His departure has certainly not been handled very well. He’s also the sort of player you might want to retain in a coaching capacity but that was always going to be difficult with a new manager coming in.
Declan Rice
This boy is the real deal and our defence should certainly be formed around him next season. I don’t understand the thinking that he might be played in midfield. He has certainly played well there on the rare occasion I’ve seen him play there but his future is surely as a central defender. His timing is superb and yes, he’s made the odd mistake, but so does anyone who is still learning their trade. He seemed to combine well with Ogbonna towards the end of the season. I hope Pellegrini is as impressed y him as the rest of us.
Angelo Ogbonna
On his day Ogbonna is as good a defender as we have. An big ox of a man, he’s surprisingly mobile. But it wouldn’t surprise me if he felt it was time to move back to Italy so he can impress the new Italy manager Roberto Mancini. He’d certainly command a fee of in excess of £20 million. I hope we keep him, though.
Winston Reid
His constant injuries restricted his appearances last season and given his age I am not sure that will improve. He’s on a long contract and although on his day he is a superb defender, can he be relied on to play 30 games? In his 8 seasons with us he’s only managed 30 games three times. Last season it was 17. Given his record last season if we sold him I doubt we’d get more than £10 million, especially as he’s 30 in July.
Reece Oxford
It’s surely time to tell Reece Oxford that he’s really wanted at West Ham. It’s three years since he made that stupendous debut against Arsenal, but he’s only made 7 more appearances in the Premier League. His two loan spells at Borussia Moenchengladbach has supposedly impressed the Germans, but he’s only made 7 starts there. Rumour is he wishes to join them permanently and a fee of £8 million. I think that would be a crying shame.
Reece Burke
Burke and Oxford have had similar experiences. Neither has been given a proper chance, yet whenever Burke has played – either at right back or in central defence – he has impressed. Wherever he has gone out on loan he’s done well, although injury has restricted his appearances. Personally, I’d keep him for another year and not loan him out, and let him take his chance if it arrives.
Conclusion
With James Collins gone and Winston Reid’s injury record we are light in central defence. I’d like us to buy one top class central defender who would be first choice alongside Declan Rice, assuming we play a 4-4-2. If we play 4-3-3 there’s an argument we need two. But we must not buy central defenders from relegated sides. It was rumoured we were in for the West Brom duo Jonny Evans and Craig Dawson. And then there’s the chap from Swansea, Alfie Mawson. No. We ought to be setting our sights at players with a proven record.