West Ham United’s left-back position has been a position of contention for a year or so now, with Aaron Cresswell’s decline swift and untimely.

The Liverpool-born defender boasts 311 appearances for the Hammers and has offered defensive stability partnered with a sweet left foot from set pieces throughout the years.

However, it became clear after his two red cards during their Europa League campaign that his powers were perhaps waning.

That would explain David Moyes’ reported interest in several full-backs, with Jordi Alba comfortably the most high-profile of these links.

Should they tempt the 33-year-old, they would get a man who has played in some of the greatest club sides ever to grace the game, and who has won almost every trophy available to him.

It would not be a long-term fix but could help them take the next step in their progression under Moyes.

With 441 appearances for Barcelona under his belt, his record of 25 goals and 96 assists denotes a fine attacking full-back who has bombed down the left flank for many years. His exploits led former Irons forward Jordan Hugill to label him an “animal”.

Despite his seniority, he was still selected for Spain’s World Cup squad and started in their curtain-raiser with Costa Rica.

In a game where they were expected to dominate, they completely obliterated the opposition, and Alba played a starring role.

Despite playing just 64 minutes, the 88-cap international was a creative powerhouse for his side, and more than earned his 8.0 rating.

Jordi Alba vs Costa Rica

Whilst his assist and penalty won helped them extend their one-goal lead, it seemed like everything good that happened was coming down his side.

This will have likely resulted in his whopping 125 touches, and despite this continued involvement, he would also average a 94% pass accuracy.

Should the Ticos have had an attack though, he was aware and experienced enough to neutralise it with haste.

His two interceptions, one tackle and one clearance denote the perfect all-round display which culminated in the opposition not mustering a single shot.

If Moyes needed any more proof why Alba is a transfer risk worth taking, he got it in sparkling fashion.

The stalwart is far from finished excelling on the world stage and would surely thrive in the Premier League just as he did in his side’s 7-0 win.