Walker-Peters upgrade: West Ham in talks to sign "immense" star next week
da fezbet： The mood around West Ham United isn’t great at the moment.
da doce： Graham Potter’s side look just as dysfunctional as they did last season, and as things stand, the club have not done enough business in the market.
For example, while the additions of Mads Hermansen, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters are great in isolation, they’re enough to ensure the team aren’t dragged into a relegation battle.
Fortunately, reports have now linked the Hammers to another exciting talent, although the player in question is another full-back, one who’d already be an upgrade on Walker-Peters.
West Ham target Walker-Peters upgrade
With the transfer window still open for another week or so, West Ham simply have to bring in some more bodies, and, based on reports, it looks like they’re trying.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Mateus Fernandes has been the most heavily touted for a move to the club, with some stories claiming the Hammers have already gone in with a second offer, while AS Roma striker Artem Dovbyk has recently been touted for a potential loan move that would see Niclas Füllkrug go the other way.
However, it now looks like another deal is close to being completed, one that would see the Hammers land an exciting talent who’d already be an upgrade on Walker-Peters.
At least that is according to a recent report from Spanish publication Sport, which has claimed that West Ham are very interested in Hector Fort.
In fact, the report has revealed that the Hammers are already in talks with Barcelona over a potential loan move, and that it could be finalised as soon as next week.
The young Spaniard might not be a particularly well-known player to Premier League fans, but he looks like he could be a future star, and would be an instant upgrade on Walker-Peters.
How Fort compares to Walker-Peters
Now, it should be said that Fort would be joining the team with significantly less experience than Walker-Peters.
However, at just 19 years old, that seems like an unfair stick to beat him with, and it could be argued that the experience he has is valuable in a different way.
For example, while he has played far fewer games, he’s already played at a much higher level than the Englishman, making 30 appearances for one of the biggest teams in the world in Barcelona.
Moreover, he’s already made three appearances in the Champions League and played 17 La Liga games during the club’s league-winning campaign last year.
With that said, the best way to see how the pair really stack up against one another is by taking a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers from last season.
Unfortunately for the former Saints star, he comes out as a distant second-best when we do this.
Fort vs Walker-Peters
Statistics per 90
Fort
Walker-Peters
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.17
0.11
Progressive Carries
2.15
3.52
Progressive Passes
4.00
4.29
Progressive Passes Received
5.08
4.44
Shots
0.92
0.62
Passing Accuracy
90.1%
88.2%
Key Passes
1.54
0.74
Passes into the Final Third
4.15
3.67
Shot-Creating Actions
2.46
1.94
Tackles Won
1.23
0.90
Blocks
1.85
0.83
Interceptions
0.92
0.59
Carries into the Final Third
2.31
2.22
Ball Recoveries
4.92
4.17
Aerial Duels Won
0.46
0.34
Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season
For example, the “immense” youngster, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, comes out way ahead in most relevant metrics such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, key passes, shot-creating chances, tackles won, blocks, interceptions and more, all per 90.
These numbers paint the picture of a full-back who is more than solid in defence, but then also capable of being a real attacking outlet, either through carrying the ball up the pitch, or passing it into dangerous areas.
Moreover, he appears to be the sort of player who’d cope with playing at wing-back as well, which is perfect for Potter.
Ultimately, while Walker-Peters brings plenty of experience to the squad, Fort looks to be the more dynamic and exciting defender, and therefore, West Ham should do what they can to get this deal over the line as soon as possible.