West Ham should go all out to sign Gary Cahill in January
Chelsea’s out-of-favour centre-back Gary Cahill has emerged as a January transfer target for West Ham United, claims the Mirror. The 32-year-old has less than a year remaining on his current contract which is set to expire next summer and the Blues are unlikely to offer him an extension.
Cahill joined Chelsea in 2012 from Bolton Wanderers and was a part of the team that won the UEFA Champions League in 2011/12 and the UEFA Europa League in 2012/13.
The 32-year-old veteran has also won the FA Cup, League Cup and the Premier League on two occasions over the course of his illustrious career at Stamford Bridge. Cahill has made a total of 285 appearances across all competitions, scoring on 25 occasions.
Although Cahill made 43 appearances across all competitions last season, including 27 in the Premier League, he has been frozen out of the squad by new manager Maurizio Sarri. The Italian boss has preferred deploying David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger in the heart of the defense and has used the Englishman as an understudy.
In fact, Cahill has played only once in the Premier League this season when he came off the bench to replace an injured Rudiger.
A player of Cahill’s calibre doesn’t deserve to warm the bench at Stamford Bridge, definitely not at the age of 32. In the limited game time he has received, Cahill has looked quite fit and sharp for his age.
West Ham steadied the ship after a disastrous start with victories over Everton and Manchester United. However, the Hammers’ recent run of form was undone by Brighton last weekend as the Seagulls triumphed 1-0 courtesy Glenn Murray’s 25th-minute strike.
The Hammers have managed to keep only one clean sheet this season which came in a goalless draw against Chelsea. In fact, Pellegrini’s men have a poor defensive record in the Premier League, having shipped 13 goals so far with a goal difference of -5.
Pellegrini brought in the likes of Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop to bolster his options at the back and both players have taken time to adapt to the demands of the Premier League.
West Ham do not have many options for the centre-back position. Granted, Balbuena and Diop have fared well in recent games but they looked quite shaky against Brighton and put the team at risk with occasional lapses in concentration.
Angelo Ogbonna, the Italian centre-back who played a couple of games at the start of the season, has looked way off the pace and badly out of shape. West Ham do have the services of 19-year-old Reece Oxford but they need an experienced customer who can lead by example.
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As things stand, Gary Cahill would be the ideal man to provide cover and competition for the likes of Balbuena, Diop and Ogbonna. A centre-back blessed with excellent technique, remarkable aerial prowess and appreciable game-reading ability, Cahill is known for his high levels of composure, concentration and consistency. He also has an enviable goalscoring record for a centre-back.
Hence, a move to London Stadium would be ideal for all parties involved and the Hammers should not hesitate to table a bid for the veteran.
