West Ham United are reportedly eyeing up a move to sign Bournemouth centre-back Lloyd Kelly, and if true, it could be a sign that Moyes is growing tired of one particular Hammer.
Lloyd Kelly is reportedly firmly on West Ham’s radar in advance of the January transfer window, per a report from 90 Min.
David Moyes is clearly keen to bolster his central defensive ranks at the London Stadium this winter.
The 25-year-old defender for Bournemouth has frequently been linked to the Hammers; it seems that Moyes intended to sign him in the 2022 summer transfer window.
Kurt Zouma appears to be plagued by injury issues all the time, and Nayef Aguerd’s future is still up in the air.
The 27-year-old Moroccan has been playing poorly this season, and there have been many calls for Moyes to let him go.
I think Aguerd may be in for some serious trouble if West Ham decides to pursue Kelly this winter.
£30m man finished at West Ham if David Moyes signs Lloyd Kelly in January
In the summer of 2022, Aguerd moved from Rennes to West Ham for about £30 million (Sky Sports). After sustaining a serious ankle injury during the preseason of the previous year, his career at the London Stadium got off to a really bad start. He didn’t play again until right before the World Cup.
With his outstanding tackling skills and lightning-fast recovery rate, the Morocco international looked like the real deal when Premier League play returned in late December.
But as time has gone on, his startling positional awareness and incredibly low levels of concentration have made him appear more and more vulnerable.
And to be really honest, given Aguerd’s exceptional technical skill and passing ability, it really wouldn’t surprise us if Moyes was already searching for an improvement.
90 Min reckon that Lloyd Kelly could be the man for the job at the London Stadium.
Standing at just 5ft 10in tall, Kelly is certainly on the small side for a central defender. And there have been questions raised as to whether he would be able to cope aerially in the Premier League.
However, Kelly’s height is unimportant. His numbers over the last three seasons show that he has a pretty amazing leap on him. Over the previous three seasons with the Cherries, the 25-year-old has averaged 1.9, 2.9, and 1.6 aerial duels won (Who Scored).
A few years ago, The Times reported that the south coast team wouldn’t even entertain the idea of selling one of their star players until they received at least £30 million. But since his contract expires in the summer, Bournemouth might be willing to sell him in January for a low price.
Furthermore, Nayef Aguerd’s time at the London Stadium may be coming to an end if Lloyd Kelly signs with West Ham this winter.
