Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier will only be an option for West Ham United if a deal for Aaron Wan-Bissaka collapses, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Reports have suggested the Hammers are considering a move for the England international ahead of the transfer deadline at the end of August as Julen Lopetegui looks to bolster his defence [The Telegraph, 7 August].
The Irons are also understood to be working on a deal for Red Devils defender Wan-Bissaka [David Ornstein, 6 August] and according to Romano, that deal will take priority over any move for Trippier in the coming weeks.
Writing his Daily Briefing column on Friday (9 August) he said: “Despite the rumours, I’m not aware of talks for Arnau Martinez, and Kieran Trippier will only be an option if the Wan Bissaka deal falls through.”
Will Kieran Trippier exit Newcastle United amid West Ham transfer rumours?
The Hammers have clearly been prioritising a move for Wan-Bissaka throughout the summer as Lopetegui looks to put his stamp on the defence left behind in East London by David Moyes last season.
But Tim Steidten and Lopetegui will have both been in the game long enough to know that they cannot afford to put all their eggs in one basket and therefore will have prepared a backup plan in case of emergency.
Trippier may be better in possession than his Manchester United counterpart, but he has been defensively suspect over the last few years and that is what the Hammers are looking for in a new right back.
Partner that with the fact that the Newcastle man is entering the back end of his career and a move for the former Spurs man doesn’t appear to make a whole lot of sense.
Should any deal for Wan-Bissaka or any alternative options fall through at the eleventh hour, then a move for the England international may be completed almost as a last resort.
Until then, however, the Hammers are unlikely to rush to get this transfer over the line in the coming weeks as the window draws to an end.
