West Ham United have sold one of their seasoned campaigners in Craig Dawson recently, with the 32-year-old joining fellow Premier League strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers and it’s clear David Moyes is aiming to rejuvenate his defensive options and reduce the average age of his squad.
The club have been linked with a move for Shakhtar Donetsk centre-back Mykola Matvienko despite Brighton & Hove Albion engaging in talks with the Ukrainian, although they have yet to come close to any type of move, with the €25m (£22m) proving to be a stumbling block for the South coast side.
This could allow Moyes to swoop in and secure yet another talented defender to add to his growing collection alongside Nayef Aguerd, Thilo Kehrer and recent signing, Luizao, and the Ukrainian could become the perfect heir for the experienced Angelo Ogbonna, who looks set to depart the London side at the end of the season.
Matvienko is an ideal Ogbonna heir
The Italian has been at West Ham since 2015, making 216 appearances for the club, however, injuries have played their part recently, with Ogbonna featuring just 14 times this season while making a comeback from a serious knee injury sustained last season.
With Ligue 1 side Marseille reportedly interested in signing the 34-year-old, his time at West Ham could be over sooner rather than later and Moyes will be looking for the perfect heir.
Matvienko is ideal and at 26 years of age, he has an opportunity to be at the heart of the club’s defence during his peak years.
Compared to positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Matvienko ranks in the top 2% for blocks and clearances, while also demonstrating how effective he is at distributing the ball by ranking in the top 7% for passes attempted.
The 26-year-old proved his class in the Champions League this season, winning 67% of his total duels and making 1.7 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, and 5.5 clearances per game and he should be comfortable with making a move to the Premier League.
Journalist Andrew Todos lavished praise upon Matvienko recently, saying: “Matviyenko is a composed and experienced centre-back, who comes across as very assured, especially when playing alongside younger teammates. As he started his career as a full-back, he’s got more pace than an average centre-back and this aids him quite a lot in recovery challenges.
“He rarely goes in for wild tackles that might result in bookings or penalties and one of his main strengths is blocking crosses or goalbound shots. He’s also very good at playing balls over the top, playing out from the back, and he’s versatile.”
High praise indeed and Moyes should use the final days of the transfer window in order to sign the player, as the £22m price tag could become a bargain if he continues his current form while proving he can become an ideal Ogbonna heir in the process.