West Ham United have reportedly offered free agent Joel Matip a two-year contract in their bid to strengthen Julen Lopetegui’s defense, as reported by “Caught Offside”.
The Hammers have had an impressive summer transfer window, bringing in nine new players to support their new manager, who replaced David Moyes with hopes of pushing the team forward.
Defense was a priority for West Ham, with Lopetegui bringing in his former Wolves captain, Max Kilman, and French international Jean-Clair Todibo.
However, the last-minute transfers of club captain Kurt Zouma and Morocco international Nayef Aguerd on deadline day have left the team short of options at center-back.
West Ham Offers Matip a Two-Year Deal
The departures of Zouma and Aguerd have left Lopetegui with only three senior central defenders, including Greek international Dinos Mavropanos, who has started all of West Ham’s Premier League matches this season.
To address this, the club is exploring the free-agent market, and Joel Matip has emerged as a prime target. “Caught Offside” claims that Matip, a former Premier League and Champions League winner, has been offered a two-year deal to join the London club.
Matip, 33, became a free agent after his contract with Liverpool ended in the summer.
Although he has been sidelined by a serious knee injury since last season, he is reportedly nearing a return to fitness.
His wealth of experience has attracted the interest of Lopetegui and West Ham’s technical director, Tim Steidten.
While West Ham is keen to secure Matip’s services, they face competition from Fulham, Bournemouth, and Leicester City, all of whom have expressed interest in signing the Cameroon international.
However, none of these clubs have yet made a formal offer.
Matip is reportedly still considering his options and has not made a final decision about his next move.
There are suggestions that Matip is uncertain about West Ham’s proposal, particularly as he might find himself as a backup option behind Kilman, Todibo, and Mavropanos.
At this stage of his career, he may be hesitant to take on a fourth-choice role.
West Ham Pursues John Egan
In addition to their pursuit of Matip, West Ham is reportedly interested in signing former Sheffield United captain John Egan on a free transfer.
According to insider reports, the two sides are close to finalizing a deal, and Egan recently featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly match against Doncaster Rovers, which allowed the club to assess his fitness.
Aside from bolstering their defense with Kilman and Todibo, West Ham had an active transfer window, adding Luis Guilherme, Wes Foderingham, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug, Guido Fernandez, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Carlos Soler to their squad.
Meanwhile, James Ward-Prowse left the club on loan to join Nottingham Forest.
These moves signal West Ham’s determination to build a strong squad under Lopetegui, as they look to compete on multiple fronts this season.
