West Ham United are interested in signing Wolverhampton Wanderers skipper Max Kilman in this summer transfer window.
Julen Lopetegui, the new Hammers boss, is looking to add more talent to his squad after the club confirmed the signing of Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras earlier this month. Their second signing could come in the form of Max Kilman, with West Ham United stepping up their interest in the defender.
The Irons recently had a second proposal rejected by Wolves, which included an exchange player as part of the deal. They are reportedly pushing for Kilman and will send a new proposal very soon. Julen Lopetegui is very keen on reuniting with the Englishman at the London Stadium, having coached him at Wolves.
It is believed that Wolves rate Kilman very highly, given his importance to the squad as a captain and leader, and the fact that he also penned a new deal in 2023 which will expire in the summer of 2028. The Wanderers remain reluctant to sell the 27-year-old this summer and would only change their stance if West Ham meet their high valuation.
Max Kilman would vastly improve West Ham’s defence
West Ham have a rich pool of attacking talents but struggled defensively under David Moyes last season. Only the three relegated sides—Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town—conceded more in the Premier League than Moyes’ side, which makes defensive reinforcements a must this transfer window.
This has seen the Hammers step up their search for a new central defence to marshal their backline under Julen Lopetegui in the 2024/25 campaign. West Ham have set their sights on Kilman, with Lopetegui pushing to bring the Wolves skipper to east London.
Having started at non-league side Maidenhead United, Kilman moved to Wolves in 2018 and hasn’t looked back since. He has been a consistent performer for the Midlands club over the last two years, playing every single minute of Premier League football this past campaign. The Englishman’s leadership, ball-playing skills, aerial ability and availability could be a valuable asset to a West Ham side set to embrace Lopetegui’s philosophy.
Having been one of Wolves’ best performers in recent seasons, Kilman, at the age of 27, would be fancying his chances of donning the England colours. The centre-back, who can also operate as a part of the back three, has an outside chance for an England call-up. His chances could significantly increase playing for a club like West Ham that won the UEFA Conference League in 2023.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.