While there has been no shortage of talk linking West Ham United with centre-forwards ahead of the January transfer window, centre-halves have been relatively few and far between in the gossip columns.
Hammers News have heard from a source close to the club that Nuno Espirito Santo is keen on a striker to come in at the beginning of 2026.
Specifically, an athletic number nine capable of running the channels and providing an outlet for an array of talented West Ham United attacking midfielders/widemen.
But, while Mateus Fernandes’ 90th minute consolation at Elland Road on Friday night was only their second goal in four games under Nuno, their eternally-porous defence tends to make a less-than prolific frontline look elite by comparison.
Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman struggled again during that 2-1 defeat by a Leeds side now flying seven points clear of last night’s opponents. That Konstantinos Mavropanos looks like Nuno’s most reliable centre-back right now is, in itself, a rather damning statement.
Mavropanos missed those Brentford and Leeds clashes through injury. While the £17 million Greek international has made his fair share of blunders in a claret and blue jersey, it’s telling that many fans will be counting down the days until his return.
The January window cannot come soon enough either.
ESPN Brazil report that Lille stopper Alexsandro has emerged as a potential solution, but an expensive and potentially unattainable one at that.
West Ham United reportedly like Lille and Brazil defender Alexsandro
Recent history suggests that any Premier League club looking to sign a centre-back from Les Dogues tend to be onto a winner.
Manchester United got Leny Yoro from Lille. Sven Botman moved to Newcastle after a spell at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. Ditto Bournemouth’s Bafode Diakite, not to mention Arsenal colossus Gabriel Magalhaes.
If not the finest defender in English football right now, Gabriel is surely on the podium.
So, if Alexsandro is indeed high on West Ham’s wishlist as reports suggest, previous post-Lille success stories appear to bode well. But, as ESPN are at pains to point out, the three-time Brazil international is in no rush to follow Yoro, Gabriel and co across the Channel.
He reportedly has concerns that a mid-season switch to England would scupper his chances of a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad.
In stark contrast to the likes of Joshua Zirkzee – the West Ham-linked Manchester United benchwarmer looks set to be snubbed by Dutch boss Ronald Koeman next summer unless something changes – Alexsandro’s own World Cup hopes could ward him off a winter transfer rather than encourage him to push for it.
West Ham short of cash but Toulouse’s Charlie Cresswell remains on the radar
ESPN add that Lille value Alexsandro at a minimum of £25 million.
And while Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol insists that David Sullivan will make ‘funds available’ for Nuno, spending a fee in the region of £30 million for a centre-back who does not appear particularly convinced on a move to West Ham… Well, the pitfalls and roadblocks do not need to be overly explained.
Hammers News’ chief football correspondent, Graeme Bailey, has already confirmed that big-money signings are unlikely at West Ham in January. Unless, of course, they are willing to make a Mohammed Kudus-style sacrifice.
“West Ham have issues in terms of having to raise funds to buy, so that does mean that inevitably the big names and most sellable assets are going to be linked,” Bailey said earlier this month.
“[Lucas] Paqueta is not looking to leave and West Ham not looking to sell.
“But if someone comes in with this asking price, which is around £60 million I am told, then, yeah, he could go.”
One defender Hammers News can confirm most definitely is a target, meanwhile, is Toulouse’s England Under-21 giant Charlie Cresswell.
But after Toulouse rejected a reported £13m West Ham bid over the summer, the feeling amongst many London Stadium matchgoers is that ex-Leeds starlet Cresswell has slipped their grasp. Manchester City and Liverpool have scouted him since the season kicked off.
