According to reports in The Telegraph on December 8, West Bromwich Albion are considering making a move for Burnley centre-back Ben Mee if they lose Jonny Evans during the January transfer window.
The Baggies skipper has just 18 months left on his contract and The Telegraph says that the £30m-rated Northern Ireland international is likely to be a target for Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton in the New Year.
The report adds that new boss Alan Pardew has identified Mee as the 29-year-old’s replacement if he does move on from the Hawthorns, with the Clarets defender once again impressing for his team this season.
Meanwhile, West Ham United picked up their first victory under David Moyes when they beat Chelsea 1-0 at the London Stadium on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to take them out of the relegation zone and they remain bang in trouble.
The Scottish manager is likely to strengthen his squad in January as he looks to pull the Irons away from the bottom three, and bringing Mee to the London Stadium could prove to be a shrewd move.
Here are three reasons West Ham must hijack West Brom’s bid to sign the 28-year-old…
They need a new centre-back
While they looked stronger defensively in the 2-1 defeat against Manchester City before keeping a clean sheet in the win against Chelsea on Saturday, West Ham still need a new centre-back.
The east London outfit have conceded 32 goals in 16 Premier League matches this term, with only Stoke City having a worse record.
With James Collins getting no younger, Jose Fonte out injured and Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna perhaps not performing to the best of their abilities for the majority of the campaign, Moyes may make bringing a new central defender to the London Stadium one of his priorities in January.
His defensive qualities
Burnley currently lie fourth in the Premier League table, and Mee’s impressive performances at the back have certainly helped them get there.
The stand-in skipper has led the Clarets to six cleans sheets in his 15 top flight appearances this season, and he has shown his leadership skills as a result.
In addition, according to Squawka the 28-year-old has made 121 clearances, 24 blocks and 19 interceptions for the Lancashire outfit, as well as winning 61 aerial duels.
Incredibly, he made 298 clearances in 34 outings last term and there is no doubt that he would bring something extra to a leaky West Ham defence.
The future
With Fonte turning 34 later this month, Collins already 34 and Reid and Ogbonna both celebrating their 30th birthdays next year, Moyes needs to start looking to the future when it comes to centre-back options.
While Declan Rice and Reece Oxford may both make it at the London Stadium, if the Scottish boss wants to bring a slightly more experienced defender then Mee would be a good shout.
Having only turned 28 in September the central defender is a good age and should be approaching the prime years of his career, which would only benefit West Ham.
His performances for Burnley have been so impressive this season that an England call-up may not be far away, which shows the quality and potential that he still has.
Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.