Why Diego Demme would be a brilliant addition to West Ham’s ranks

Back in November 2018, a report from Daily Mail had claimed that West Ham were interested in RB Leipzig midfielder Diego Demme.

Diego Demme, 27, has been a key component of RB Leipzig’s side in recent seasons, playing the holding role and protecting their back four. He has racked up more than 150 appearances for Leipzig since his move from Paderborn in 2014, even earning a cap for the German national team in 2017.

With the defensive midfielder having hit the ground running in the new Premier League campaign as well, West Ham must reignite their interest and look to sign him when the transfer window reopens.

West Ham have recovered very well from the forgettable opening day defeat to Manchester City and look primed to break into the top six this season.

The Hammers are playing some really exciting football and even though they endured a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace before the international break, the fans have every right to be optimistic for the future under Manuel Pellegrini.

One area Pellegrini should look to address in January is his midfield as he failed to bring in a replacement for Pedro Obiang, who left the club for Sassuolo in the summer.

West Ham lack quality as well as depth in the midfield department, which if not reinforced in the next transfer window, could potentially harm their ambitions to achieve a place in Europe.

Declan Rice has been excellent in the midfield and a standout performer for the east Londoners so far this season. But Rice needs a consistent player to partner him, which could give the likes of Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko more freedom to create their magic in the final third.

To put things into perspective, Diego Demme would be a good fit and West Ham should look to sign him from Leipzig. A technically-gifted, hardworking and tenacious player, Demme excels as a defensive midfielder. He is excellent in winning possession back and distributing the ball, whilst he also has the ability to quickly launch counter-attacks.

More West Ham News

• Why West Ham are wise to hand Aaron Cresswell a new contract
• Why West Ham should plot a January swoop for Thiago Maia
• Why West Ham should go all out to sign Malang Sarr in January

The one-cap Germany international works his socks off by covering every blade of the grass. His amazing stamina and intensity would be ideal alongside Rice in the middle of the park. Demme would definitely add quality and much-needed depth to West Ham’s midfield options, whilst taking Pellegrini’s side to a different level altogether.

Verdict

There’s no reason why West Ham shouldn’t make a move for Demme. However, it remains to be seen whether the German enforcer leaves Leipzig for the Hammers in the midst of the 2019/20 campaign.