We all know that Tim Steidten is selecting transfer targets for West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui this summer, and Maxime Esteve is the latest potential new arrival.
Tim Steidten took over as the West Ham Director of Football back in July 2023, and Maxime Esteve is the latest in a long line of players the German has recommended to the club.
Julen Lopetegui will be desperate to bolster his central defensive ranks at the London Stadium in the summer transfer window.
And according to recent reports, signing a top-class new centre-back is one of the Spaniard’s two main priorities.
According to the Mirror (print edition June 9th, page 72), Burnley defender Maxime Esteve is firmly on the Hammers’ radar this summer.
We’ve already been linked with a move to sign the former Montpellier man over the past couple of weeks, and now it seems like our interest has become more concrete.
The Frenchman actually performed well for the Clarets last season, in spite of their eventual relegation from the Premier League down to the Championship.
He has absolutely everything needed to succeed at the very highest level, and is perfectly built for Premier League football.
So is he someone who the Hammers should be pursuing this summer?
Who is Maxime Esteve and what will he bring to West Ham
Born in May 2002 in Montpellier, France, Esteve began his youth career with AS Canet, before joining Montpellier in 2011.
The Frenchman stayed with his boyhood club right up until he joined Burnley on an initial loan deal in January 2024.
That deal has now been made permanent, and Burnley are looking to make a profit on Esteve.
Standing at 6ft 4in tall, the 22-year-old is obviously incredibly strong in the air, and he cuts an imposing figure.
In 16 Premier League appearances, Esteve averaged 1.7 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 3.4 clearances and 1.7 successful aerial duels per game. He made 50.6 passes on average per match and recorded a completion rate of 84.4% (Who Scored).
Don’t be fooled by his size, he’s not all about raw power. The Burnley ace is a defender who is extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet, and he possesses a wonderful range of passing.
His ability to pass through the press would be crucial to the Hammers’ hopes of hitting teams quickly in transition, if that’s a route that Lopetegui wants to go down for certain tough away matches.
Burnley signed Esteve for around £13 million this summer after his successful loan spell at Turf Moor (The Athletic), and it remains to be seen how much they will demand for him from the Hammers.
A fee worth around £15 million would be a fair price to pay in my opinion.
However, it remains to be seen whether the West Ham board will be prepared to stretch to that kind of money for Maxime Esteve.
The Frenchman would be a very smart addition to Lopetegui’s ranks at the London Stadium.
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