West Ham sizing up immediate Mavropanos deal with Arsenal cut out of £14m windfall
West Ham are reportedly looking to sign forgotten Arsenal player Konstantinos Mavropanos for a €20m price tag, per a report.
Mavropanos signed for Arsenal in the 2018 January transfer window for a reported fee of £1.8m. The Greece international has since been loaned out to various German clubs.
The centre-back currently plays for Stuttgart whom he joined on loan in the 2020. The club have an option to buy at the end of the current deal which Bild report is worth around £3m. Prior reports have suggested they’ll take up that option.
Those claims are covered by Sport Witness who suggest David Moyes’ West Ham are now looking to acquire his services.
They are reportedly willing to offer around €20m (£17m), meaning a player Arsenal could lose for £3m could then move for £14m more in the same window.
The 24-year-old has enjoyed a superb season in Germany and according to WhoScored, across all competitions, Mavropanos has managed an average rating of 7.0.
Moyes’ team are on course to compete for Europe again and their squad is rapidly aging.
Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson have been key players throughout the season for the Hammers. The pair are, however, both into their thirties which could stretch their defensive options again next season.
West Ham’s defensive ranks do have significant depth as both Kurt Zouma and Issa Diop are also in and around the first-team.
Although, in January, the latter was linked with a move away from the London based club.
Mavropanos speaks on his future
The 24-year-old has hinted on where his future lies in a recent interview.
“Stuttgart have the option to sign me. If they do that, I’m a VfB player. That’s all there is to say about that at the moment,” Mavropanos told Bild.
This showcases that the Greek international sees his future at Stuttgart, but Bild have also reported that he would consider moving away immediately if a ‘top club gets serious.’
It is not yet known if Mavropanos classes West Ham as a ‘top club’, so whether his future will lay away with Stuttgart after his clause is activated remains up in the air.
Does he suit David Moyes?
The Hammers commonly play with four defenders but have occasionally deployed a back five system on occasion.
Mavropanos has been the shining light for Stuttgart this season as they battle for survival. Despite playing in defence for the entirety of the season, Mavropanos is the teams’ joint-highest goal scorer with five in all competitions.
However, Stuttgart have shipped the fourth-most goals in the Bundesliga this year (58). They would however, be far worse off without Mavropanos’ talents.
His decision-making is one of his key assets which ensures he wins the majority of his challenges.
His aerial contribution is also second to none. Over the course of the season, he has averaged 3.9 aerial duels won per game. This is very similar to Dawson who has achieved 4.1, according to WhoScored.
Although the €20m price tag may seem hefty, Mavropanos’ skillset may be worth its weight in gold.
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