Go for it Moyes: January raid to sign Swansea’s best player could add steel to West Ham

Why Signing Swansea City Defender Alfie Mawson Can Strengthen West Ham’s Back Line

West Ham are reportedly interested in a January move to sign Swansea City defender Alfie Mawson. Despite the fact that the Swans are relegation-threatened and struggling majorly in the Premier League this season, Mawson continues to be a person of interest for several clubs. The Hammers are believed to be the frontrunners though, with David Moyes looking increasingly determined to strengthen his team’s back line in January.

Mawson has enjoyed quite a solid time at Swansea ever since he made the move from Barnsley in 2016. The 23-year-old has arguably been one of the most exciting young centre-backs in the Premier League and could prove to be a valuable addition to the Hammers. One of the club’s biggest problems this time is the fact that they are unable to keep a tight defence which prevents them from capitalising on the goals scored by the front line. The recent game against Bournemouth was a classic example of that and a player like Mawson could just be the one to address those issues.

Standing at a little over 6ft tall, he is a physically imposing player who knows how to use his strength and height to his full advantage. He is quite dominant aerially, which will benefit West Ham in set-piece situations. Also, his defensive prowess on the ground needs no validation since he has been one of Swansea’s strongest players at the back. Mawson also boasts of an innate ability to contribute to the attack, owing to his pace and he is developing into one of the Premier League’s finest.

A move to West Ham is likely to be a long-term commitment and that should be an encouraging sign for the Hammers. They already have Declan Rice as a young option and Reece Oxford, who is currently serving a loan spell with Borussia Monchengladbach. Signing Mawson could lay the foundation for building a solid defence line in the near future. Also, since Moyes is typically known to build teams around strong defenders, signing a promising youngster like Mawson is likely to be a step in the right direction.

However, one might argue that there is no need for the club to sign a player from a team that is close to relegation but one look Leicester City’s Harry Maguire could change their minds. The Foxes signed him from a relegated Hull side last term and the player has proven to be a brilliant addition to the club. Hence, given a chance, Moyes must most definitely make a move for Mawson since the player has the abilities needed to repair a leaky Hammers defence.