The transfer window slams shut tonight and West Ham United have been offered a chance to bolster their defensive options before the deadline passes.
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David Moyes has already added England international Kalvin Phillips to his side on loan from Premier League champions Manchester City, and could now bring in an experienced full-back from Ligue 1.
According to L’Équipe, the Hammers have been offered Marseille right-back Jonathan Clauss in what would be a last-gasp deal before the window shuts.
The report claims that the French side have begun to question his commitment to their cause after he went off injured against AS Monaco, despite the subsequent medical tests showing no signs of a serious problem.
This has opened the door for West Ham, and Turkish giants Galatasaray, and Moyes could land an upgrade on current right-back Vladimir Coufal by taking this opportunity.
Coufal's performances this season
The Czech Republic international has been a decent performer at the back for the Scottish boss in the Premier League throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Coufal, who produced zero goals and one assist in 27 top-flight outings last term, has provided creativity and solid defensive work for the Hammers.
Appearances
20
Big chances created
Three
Key passes per game
1.1
Successful dribbles per game
0.4
Duel success rate
51%
As you can see in the table above, the 31-year-old battler has come out on top in roughly half of his physical contests, which suggests that he has been fairly average in 50/50 duels.
Meanwhile, Coufal has pushed up the pitch in possession in an attempt to make things happen at the top end of the pitch with his passing and crossing.
The stats that show why Clauss would improve West Ham's team
The current West Ham defender has not been a liability for Moyes but the manager could improve his side by bringing in Clauss, due to his attacking quality at right-back.
He has made 18 appearances in Ligue 1 so far this season and contributed with three 'big chances' created, 0.6 dribbles completed per game, and 1.6 key passes per match.
His best form, however, came throughout the 2022/23 campaign for Marseille as he showcased his creative genius on a regular basis, as you can see in the table below.
Appearances
34
Goals
Two
Assists
Nine
Big chances created
14
Key passes per game
1.5
Since the start of last season, Clauss has racked up 17 'big chances' created for the French side in 52 Ligue 1 outings. Whereas, Coufal has produced seven 'big chances' for his teammates in 47 Premier League matches during the same period.
The £47k-per-week Marseille gem, who was once hailed as "incredible" by ex-boss Igor Tudor, has also won 55% of his duels in the French top-flight this season.
These statistics suggest that Clauss could offer slightly more in physical duels than Coufal, due to his greater success rate in individual battles, whilst having the attacking quality to create high-quality chances for his teammates far more regularly, which is why Moyes should take this opportunity to sign the France international.