Why Dennis Hadzikadunic is worth a punt for West Ham
According to claims from Swedish outlet Aftonbladet (h/t MSN), West Ham have been credited with an interest in former Sweden U-21 centre-back Dennis Hadzikadunic, who currently plies his trade with Russian Premier League outfit FC Rostov.
As per the report, the Hammers are keeping close tabs on the 22-year-old defender, who has three years left on his contract and is rated at £6m by the Russian club.
Profile
Dennis Hadzikadunic started his footballing education at local club BK Olympic in Sweden before joining the Malmo’s youth ranks back in 2012. He made 5 first-team appearances for Malmo FF and spent time on loan at fellow Swedish top-flight outfit Trelleborgs FF before earning a move to Russian club FC Rostov back in 2018.
The 22-year-old has since registered 40 appearances for Rostov in all competitions, earning rave reviews as one of the best young central defenders in the Russian top division. Hadzikadunic represented Sweden across various underage levels between U-17 and U-21 but has since switched his allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
West Ham could benefit from Hadzikadunic’s potential
After West Ham shipped 62 goals en route to their 16th-place finish in the PL last season, they need to bolster their defensive ranks before the transfer window slams shut on Monday.
Angelo Ogbonna isn’t getting any younger at 32 while Fabian Balbuena failied to inspire confidence with his lacklustre displays last season. Meanwhile, Winston Reid, who is currently on loan in the MLS, has been out of the club’s first-team plans for ages.
Hence, it goes without saying that West Ham desperately need a new centre-back to reduce the workload on Ogbonna and complement Issa Diop at the heart of the backline.
Dennis Hadzikadunic has shown a lot of promise in the Russian top-flight over the past two seasons and with his best years still lying ahead of him, the 22-year-old is certainly worth a punt for West Ham.
It would be a massive ask for him to make an immediate impact in the PL, considering that a move to the English top-flight represents a massive step up from the Russian league, both in terms of quality and intensity.
However, he ticks the box as an exciting young player with loads of untapped potential, so West Ham have reason to hope that Hadzikadunic would eventually manage to cut the mustard in England.
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Verdict
It’s really hard to pass a judgement on Dennis Hadzikadunic because he’s relatively unproven at the highest level, having plied his trade in the top-flight in Sweden and Russia so far. West Ham would ideally need to sign a proven centre-back even if they manage to strike a deal for the youngster.
Nevertheless, the 22-year-old presents an effective low-cost defensive addition to David Moyes’ side and one who seemingly has the potential to gradually start delivering the goods moving forward.
