Summary West Ham have held discussions over signing another midfielder following the signings of Alvarez and Ward-Prowse. The player David Moyes wants happened to captain his side to promotion last season. He'd represent a big upgrade on Tomas Soucek in plenty of areas.
West Ham United are interested in strengthening their squad with yet another midfielder.
Who have West Ham already signed?
The Hammers have already signed Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, but Lucas Paqueta wants to join Manchester City, and Flynn Downes is set to join Southampton on loan.
As a result, there could still be room for one or two more new faces in the Irons side.
Indeed, according to Express Sport, the east Londoners are exploring the possibility of signing a third midfielder in the summer window, with one Burnley man touted as a possible option.
Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…
The outlet revealed that West Ham have held ‘initial discussions’ over a permanent deal for 27-year-old Josh Brownhill, who captained the Clarets to Premier League promotion last term.
Several unnamed clubs are also keenly tracking Brownhill, but West Ham’s added incentive of Europa League football is thought to ‘give them the edge’ in the race for the Englishman.
What are Josh Brownhill's best qualities?
Brownhill has been at Burnley since 2020, but last season was undoubtedly his brightest, serving as a simple explanation for West Ham’s interest.
In August 2022, manager Vincent Kompany predicted the former Bristol City man to have a hugely influential campaign, saying: “Keeping Brownhill this season was crucial and he was ready for the responsibility to become a key player.
“I still see some growth in his game. I don’t want to talk him up too far but he can be one of the players of the Championship if he stays on this road this season.”
Brownhill emphatically supported the Belgian’s praise with a glittering season of consistency. He started 41 Championship games and ranked highest in the squad for a number of metrics including the most assists (8), most tackles per game (2.2), and the most key passes per game (1.8).
The wonderfully accomplished nature of his play has blessed the 5 foot 11 engine with a formidable reputation.
Wolverhampton Wanderers legend has showered the all-rounder in praise, describing him as a “top-class” player.
Brownhill clearly demonstrated that he is comfortably above the required level in the Championship and would be a useful option in a Premier League side. This has been recognised by West Ham, who are undergoing a notable midfield overhaul as they attempt to compensate for the loss of Declan Rice and the impending departure of Paqueta.
One West Ham midfielder who is definitely staying is Tomas Soucek. On Tuesday, it was confirmed that Czech has signed a new four-year deal at the London Stadium, keeping him at West Ham until the summer of 2027.
However, his form and usefulness will create question marks over his value to the team.
Ultimately, for the 60-cap international this boils down to his contributions to offensive sequences of play. Since joining West Ham, he has become renowned for his physicality, height, and heading ability and in the 2020/21 season he managed to net ten Premier League goals.
However, particularly last term, his attacking influence has deteriorated, as the 6 foot 4 mountain notched just two goals.
Unfortunately for the player, he is unable to cover for this with any kind of technical ability, as he dismally ranks within the lowest 6% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for pass completion per 90, progressive passes per 90, and progressive carries per 90.
Although he sits within the best 26% for tackles and is a major contributor to the defensive effort, Brownhill’s tackling from last season, coupled with his 15 goal involvements, show that he is able to match and outperform Soucek in these areas, whilst also offering infinitely more agility and athleticism.
The addition of Brownhill could create a selection headache for David Moyes by offering an attractive new avenue of play.