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Alan 3:07 Wed Aug 17
Thilo Kehrer signed

OS

West Ham United sign Germany international Thilo Kehrer



West Ham United is delighted to announce the signing of Germany international defender Thilo Kehrer.

The versatile 25-year-old arrives from French champions Paris Saint-Germain on a four-year contract with a two-year option, with West Ham having beaten off stiff competition from other leading European clubs to bring him to London Stadium.

A three-time Ligue 1 winner, UEFA Champions League finalist and a regular starter during Germany’s 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Kehrer is a proven winner who will add international and European experience to David Moyes’ squad.

“I’m very excited to sign for West Ham United,” said Kehrer, who will wear the No24 shirt. “This is the best league in the world and I’m excited about coming to play in the Premier League.

“I talked to the manager and he told me about how he sees me fitting in at the club. My biggest goal now is to get into the team, integrate myself within the group and enjoy playing for West Ham.”

Kehrer becomes the Hammers’ sixth summer signing following Morocco centre-back Nayef Aguerd, France goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, Italy centre-forward Gianluca Scamacca, Ivory Coast winger Maxwel Cornet and midfielder Flynn Downes.

No player has made more appearances or played more minutes under Germany manager Hansi Flick since he took charge of the national team in May last year.

Manager Moyes said the German fits the mould of the type of player he sees as the future of West Ham United – young, talented, driven and with the peak years of his career ahead of him.

“I am really pleased to welcome Thilo to West Ham United,” said Moyes. “He’s a talented player, who can play in a number of defensive positions, adding strength and depth to our current options.”

Born in the city of Tübingen in south west Germany to a German father and Burundian mother, Kehrer played for local clubs TSG Tübingen and SSV Reutlingen before joining Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart at the age of 14. Two years later, he moved north to Schalke 04, where he captained the club to the German U19 Championship in 2015.

Predominantly a centre-back, Kehrer is also comfortable in either full-back position and even played regularly as a deep-lying midfielder as a youngster, making his Bundesliga debut for Schalke in that position as a 19-year-old substitute against Wolfsburg in February 2016.

At 20, the defender established himself in Schalke’s first team in 2016/17, scored his first Bundesliga goal against Borussia Dortmund and appeared eight times as the club reached the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, then won the UEFA European U21 Championship with Germany in the summer of 2017.

After making 33 appearances for Schalke and catching the eye of some of Europe’s biggest clubs in 2017/18, Kehrer joined Paris Saint-Germain for a £33m fee in August 2018, then made his senior Germany debut in a friendly international with Peru the following month.

Since moving to the French capital, Kehrer has made 128 appearances across four seasons, won three Ligue 1 titles and started PSG’s 2020 and 2021 French Cup final victories and 2020 UEFA Champions League final defeat by Bayern Munich.

For Germany, the defender has been a regular starter over the last 12 months, helping his country qualify for the World Cup finals in Qatar and make an unbeaten start to their UEFA Nations League campaign.

West Ham United would like to welcome Thilo to east London and wish him all the best for his career in Claret and Blue.

Sir Alf 4:46 Sat Dec 31
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

His least damaging position seems to be right wing back as even as a traditional right back he gets his positioning wrong by allowing wide players to get in behind him.

Moyes likes to play players out of position. He might be best as part of the midfield. He has pace and height and better passing etc than Soucek ( who doesn’t) ?

Eerie Descent 10:51 Sat Dec 31
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

In what position, marty?

I do think he's a good footballer, taking the rashness and glaring errors away, but he seems a bit betwixt & between to me, Not quite enough of the attributes needed for centre back, same for fullback. Probably more suited to a back 3/5, ironically, given he was dropped as soon as we tried that formation.

Looks the epitome of a squad player to me.

marty feldman 10:17 Sat Dec 31
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

I strongly suspect kehrer will come good under another manager. Just like the vast majority of our summer signings .

Eerie Descent 7:47 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

It's just people's opinions. If he had been brilliant so far, he'd be getting praised. Unfortunately, he's not been.

Iron Duke 7:38 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

Plenty of people want to be proved right. That’s why we got Moyes Out posts last season even when we were reaching a European semi final and finishing in the top seven with a positive goal difference.

Eerie Descent 7:19 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

That's a load of bollocks, Duke. No one is 'desperate to be right', people are just giving an honest appraisal.

I praised him when he first signed, as it at last looked like we had a defender who can pass a football. It's now become apparent that the geezer gives away a goal every single game, with really basic errors, pointing that out is not something anyone is doing with pleasure ffs

Hopefully under a new manager he comes good.

Iron Duke 7:12 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

At times he’s looked very good with the ball, and comfortable going forward. He can tackle, but too often finds himself making a desperate lunge, which suggests that he finds himself out of position. He also lacks concentration and has made at least one poor mistake every game. It feels like he is a jack of all trades and master of none. Still too soon to write him off completely though. People have done that in the past to players like Smalling, Dawson and Ogbonna. Everyone is so desperate to be proved right that they want to say this or that player is shit just so that they can be the first.

Fifth Column 6:43 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

cholo I remember that well. Had a couple of people behind us who were clearly Man Utd supporters and even they were laughing at how shit Cole made Evans look.

cholo 6:15 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

Eerie Descent 4:45 Thu Dec 29

The last time i saw a defender get rolled that easily was Johnny Evans getting done by Carlton fucking Cole in the league Cup some 12 or so years ago.

Fifth Column 6:07 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

I'm happy with him at RB rather than Coufal.

I don't ever want to see him at CB again. Too error prone and too small there for PL.

I'd rather have Johnson at CB, he's less rash.

Eerie Descent 4:45 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

Yeah, an international defender getting turned like that, it's hard to remember anyone getting done so easily. And against a bang average striker, not like it was prime Drogba rolling him. I don't think a different style of play will will eradicate that from his game. Hope I'm wrong.

Mr. Burns 4:35 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

Rash is a good word for this bloke. What he was doing for the third goal the other night I have no idea. Pathetic defending.

Pagey 4:32 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

On paper he looked like a great signing. A versatile German international who played for PSG, for a ‘bargain’ fee.

In reality though, he makes too many errors and isn’t reliable enough. He’s a decent enough option to have as cover, due to his versatility, but if we want to progress, he can’t be a regular. I can see why he was so appealing though.

GoalLazio 4:18 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

Simply not good enough and thats why we will go down.

the exile 3:51 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

master - absolutely right. I'm pretty sure he will come good. He is a great passer and has a lot of class when on the ball, but yes, he needs to improve his defensive work.

Westham67 1:31 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

master 10:22 Thu Dec 29

gregan 11:25 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

He is far too rash in his defending. Even his youtube best of clips before he signed showed that. Over commits. Slides in hollywood style when he doesn't have to and risks being booked or left for dead if he doesnt get the ball. Tries to win the ball when patience needed to stand his ground and boss the situation. 4 year contract so hopefully he will learn the art of defending during this time. Moyes being a defensive coach hopefully might drum some basics into him. We don't really want a Repka/Dailly mk2

master 10:22 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

Just like the rest of our defensive players he's being asked to do 50% more work per game than he ought to be doing, due to our horrendous sit back and passive tactics. In that time, if you're prone to the odd mistake, it's more.likely you'll make that mistake as a result. He'd look a better player if we attacked more, pressed more, engaged the opposition higher up the field, built our attacks with purpose, and so on.

Still a backup mind, behind Zouma, Aguerd, Dawson and should be behind Ogbonna still too.

Manuel 8:02 Thu Dec 29
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

Plays like he's half asleep. another waste of space. I'm trying to remember if we have ever had a defender before who has been responsible for at least one goal every time he steps on to the pitch?

Still, I suppose it's all Moyes's fault, no doubt.

Westham67 10:20 Wed Dec 28
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

We ,as always have an unbalanced side. We have potentiality 4 left backs /wing backs , including Arthur and none of them other than Creswell who his past his best but suits Moyes style of play is used in the PL.

Haller (Get well soon ) and Vlasic doing well elsewhere

Until we get a manager with a coherent plan to counter the pressing game for me I cannot give any player a rating in this shit formation and style of play

zico 10:07 Wed Dec 28
Re: Thilo Kehrer signed

Agree with Branded, Germany are on a downslope and have been for a while so you are hardly going to sign Lothar Matthaeus! Having said that he along with Paqueta are Internationals so not writing him off unless another manager could get a tune out of him.

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