According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United are set to rival Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion for the signing of Manchester United defender Chris Smalling this summer.
Despite the fact that the England international started the Europa League final on Wednesday night, Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho is said to be ready to offload him at the end of the season.
Despite entering the season as one of the first choice choices at the heart of the defence, the 27-year-old has fallen behind Eric Bailly, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind in the pecking order.
He also fell out with Mourinho last month when he announced he wasn’t fit enough to play even though the club were struggling for centre-backs.
Irons boss Slaven Bilic is keen to strengthen his squad this summer, and he could do a lot worse than to bring the Three Lions star to the London Stadium.
Here are three reasons West Ham should go all out to sign Smalling…
They need to strengthen the defence
Only five Premier League teams conceded more than the 64 the Irons did in 38 matches this season and Slaven Bilic will know that it is a record that needs to improve if the club is to push for Europe next term.
Even though Angelo Ogbonna missed much of the campaign through injury and Jose Fonte improved after a difficult start to his Hammers career following a January move from Southampton, there is no doubt that the arrival of Smalling would boost the backline.
He should be in his prime
At the age of 27 the Red Devils man should be entering the prime years of his career, and if West Ham could help the centre-back rediscover the performances he showed under Louis van Gaal they would have a valuable player on their hands.
The England international established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League under the Dutchman and having made more than 150 top flight appearances for United – as well as around 50 in European competition – he has the experience to help the Irons.
He would have a point to prove
If Smalling was allowed to leave Man United this summer he would certainly have a few points to prove at his new club.
Firstly, he would want to show Jose Mourinho that it was a mistake to sell him, while he would also need to demonstrate to England manager Gareth Southgate that he is good enough to be a first choice centre-back ahead of the 2018 World Cup, after potentially falling behind the likes of Gary Cahill and Michael Keane in the pecking order.
Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.