According to a report from Turkish Football, West Ham are interested in signing Galatasaray defender Marcao in the summer.
Hammers boss David Moyes will undoubtedly be looking to bolster his ranks in the summer, especially if his side avoid relegation this season.
It could be argued that the Scot actually needs to strengthen in every department of his squad. But bolstering his central defensive department should be one of his top priorities.
Winston Reid is currently out on loan, and he will be 32 in July. Angelo Ogbonna will also be 32 before the summer.
Fabian Balbuena, meanwhile, has really struggled this season, and his lack of quality has been clear for every West Ham fan to see.
Turkish Football claims that the Hammers could move for Galatasaray centre-back Marcao in an effort to address their central defensive deficiencies.
The 23-year-old stands at 6ft 1in, so he isn’t the tallest of central defenders.
Marcao stats
The Brazilian ace has still managed to win an average of 2.5 aerial duals in 22 league games for Gala this season, however (Who Scored).
During those outings, Marcao has averaged 1.7 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 3.4 clearances and 0.7 blocks per game (Who Scored).
He is a quintessentially South American in his defending – hard, tenacious and aggressive. The 23-year-old seems to be tailor made for the Premier League.
The Brazilian won the league title with Galatasaray last season. And the Turkish giants are currently three points adrift of Basaksehir in the race for the title this season.
Turkish Football claims that Gala could be willing to sell Marcao if the price is right. So it will be interesting to see whether West Ham manage to prise him away from the Turkish outfit in the summer.
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