Despite enjoying a pretty successful Premier League campaign, the upcoming summer transfer window will nonetheless arrive with unprecedented significance for West Ham, due to the club’s long-awaited move to London’s Olympic Stadium.
Several Ligue 1 goalscoring sensations have subsequently been heavily linked with a high profile move to the East End after Dimitri Payet’s successful transition to English top-flight, but as Barcelona’s Marc Bartra has also seen his name aligned with a possible switch to join Slaven Bilic’s squad this summer, perhaps the Hammers will look to cast their net as far reaching as possible.
So then, with Liverpool also keen on capturing the 25-year-old Spanish defender ahead of the new domestic season, would Bartra really represent a top-class summer acquisition for the Upton Park outfit?
Having grown up in the famed Barcelona academy, Bartra’s sheer technical prowess as a marauding centre-back obviously comes as very little surprise. The lofty Spanish defender has arguably modelled much of his overall game on that of current Barca teammate, Gerard Pique, yet whilst both players remain equally well-equipped in terms of all-round stature and general defensive presence, Bartra’s impressive pace has often been seen as superior to that of the former Manchester United man.
…And when it comes to reading the game effectively for the entire 90 minutes, making composed interceptions high up the pitch alongside the designated midfielders in the team, as well as displaying promising movement with the ball at his feet almost every single time he steps out onto the field, this is a player that rarely serves to disappoint.
Bartra may have, admittedly, failed to establish himself as a regular in the first choice Barcelona starting XI over the years, but as the subtly impressive 25-year-old remains in the prime stages of his career, there is ultimately no reason to suggest that this somewhat forgotten Nou Camp star can’t make a success of himself elsewhere next season.
But would West Ham really represent the ideal destination for all parties involved here? Despite Bartra’s admitted value in the current transfer climate, the answer to that particular case in point may well be – no.
James Collins has proven something of a revelation at the back for Bilic in 2015/16 after all, while the recently appointed Hammers boss also saw fit to draft in Angelo Ogbonna over the course of last summer. And as both Winston Reid and James Tomkins remain more than worthy of their respective roles within West Ham’s defensive line this season, the prospective signing of Barcelona’s Bartra seemingly makes little sense.
With each of Reece Oxford and Reece Burke likely to stake a well-deserved claim among the Hammers first choice starting XI in the not too distant future, it seems that for perhaps the first time in the club’s recent Premier League history, West Ham United actually look pretty well equipped in the centre-back department.
The services of Bartra are arguably of greater need down at Anfield right in the here and now. Although the 25-year-old Spaniard does admittedly seem to represent a promising target for most Premier League outfits to cast their watchful eye over this summer, West Ham should look to point their much-needed resources elsewhere due to the abundance of reliable centre-backs currently on offer at the club…
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