Nayef Aguerd - signed (30m)

[Coffee]

"OS West Ham United complete Nayef Aguerd transfer West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of Morocco international defender Nayef Aguerd. The 26-year-old joins the Hammers from French Ligue 1 club Rennes on a five-year contract and adds further quality and depth to David Moyes‚Äô squad. He will wear the No27 shirt. Aguerd has enjoyed two impressive seasons with Rennes, enhancing the reputation he established at FUS Rabat, Dijon and with the Moroccan national team. Now, the left-sided player will continue his career in the English Premier League, where his combination of talents will see him provide strong competition for Craig Dawson, Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma. ‚ÄúI was really excited when I heard about West Ham United's interest,‚Äù said Aguerd, an impressive individual who speaks fluent French, English, Arabic and Spanish. ‚ÄúWhen I heard about it, I knew I needed to go to the Premier League, because it‚Äôs a dream for every player. ‚ÄúWest Ham is a historic Club. I saw a few of their games this year, and I saw the fans and the atmosphere were fantastic, with the bubbles! ‚ÄúI talked with the manager and he showed me that he was very interested, so it was easy to choose to come to West Ham.‚Äù Aguerd was born in the city of K?©nitra in the north of Morocco into a footballing family. His father played in the Moroccan top-flight, while his uncle Abdelmajid Bouyboud was capped 34 times and appeared at the 1994 FIFA World Cup finals ‚Äì an achievement his nephew could emulate in Qatar later this year. As a boy, Aguerd represented local club KAC of K?©nitra before being scouted and recruited to the national Mohammed VI Football Academy in the capital city of Rabat, where he spent four years playing alongside the likes of Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri. In 2014, aged 18, he joined leading club Rabat FUS, making 12 appearances in his debut season and attracting the attention of a host of leading Spanish clubs. After bulking up and working hard on his game, Aguerd then inspired FUS to their first-ever Moroccan Championship in May 2016, scoring a vital goal against Ittihad Tanger that all but clinched the title. After scoring in the 2017 CAF Champions League and impressing regularly for FUS over the next two seasons, Aguerd joined French Ligue 1 club Dijon in 2018. Two encouraging seasons for Les Rouges led to a transfer to Rennes, where he started the club‚Äôs first-ever UEFA Champions League match at home to Russian side Krasnodar and featured in four of six group-stage fixtures in the autumn of 2020. Aguerd has thrived at Roazhon Park, making 66 Ligue 1 appearances and helping Rennes qualify for Europe in each of the last two seasons. He scored twice in seven UEFA Europa Conference League appearances and started 31 Ligue 1 games as Rennes finished fourth last term. At international level, the defender was capped at U20 and U23 level before making his senior debut against Albania in August 2016. Two years later, he helped Morocco win the African Nations Championship on home turf. He is now a regular in the Atlas Lions‚Äô starting XI with 25 senior caps and was an ever-present in Morocco‚Äôs successful 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign and run to the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. Everyone at West Ham United would like to welcome Nayef to London Stadium and wish him all the best for his career in Claret and Blue."

[Manuel]

Oneside - Correct, he was available but nobody was interested as he was so poor. He was heavily linked with a move to Saudi, that didn't happened and then came the inevitable loan move. Sigh. It's daft and too lazy just to blame his poor performances on the manager/system etc, he was making mistakes that you'd see over the park. I couldn't give a hoot about any so called good performances for his country.

I think if anyone is thinking if he comes back he's suddenly morphed into Franco Baresi is going to be disappointed.

[onsideman]

In his debut season for us he was a big part of the Team that helped us win the Cup. Felt sorry for him in the end how he got a bit scapegoated after been Moyesed out of the picture. He was never as bad as some thought he was and no surprise to see him regain his form again this season. 

Who's decision was it to send him out on loan?

Lopetegui must have said he didn't want him as he was bringing in Kilman to play left sided centre back in a 4 and at £30m plus he was too valuable an asset to have sitting on the bench (not that he'd have been prepared to do that). 

IIRC we actually tried to sell him but no one was prepared to stump up as he'd looked so poor in the end under Moyes

[Mad Dog]

The big issue with guard last season is that if you defend entirely for 90 minutes and allow teams to launch wave after wave of attack mistakes will inevitably happen.

He was more victim of stupid tactics than anything else.  With different tactics and more emphasis on keping posession hed be fine.  Juat look at his morocco performances. I saw him play for sociedad back in october and he looked confosdnt and assured.  Almoat scored too.

This is a problem with a lot of the players this season.  The tactics have been awful, players confused and out of their natural positions. High lines against fast attacks. Confidence low.  Nobody looked good

[Sir Alf]

Kilman has proved himself better as a central CB who mops up at the back and less so as a left or right CB who gets wide when we press or break out of defence.  So we need a left footed CB. Aguerd has a great left foot and pace.  The issue he has is in aerial or physical duels in the Premiership and Moyes asked him to be that kind of CB. Its still a question mark but as part if a 3 ( Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd) he may well be far more effective and better suited.  Potter needs to talk to him in the close season and if he is liking what he hears he could indeed solve the need for a left footed CB. 

[Alwaysaniron]

Totally agree.  I would take him back too, think he had a lot about him and he'd work well with Killman.  I mean why would we go and spend millions on somebody who doesnt know our club when we've already got one in place.  Not sure what the terms are on recalling him..

[only1billybonds]

I'd take him back, he is a decent player who got suffocated by Moyes's negativity. I'm sure he'd flourish under a more positive manager, Potter could get a proper tune out of him.

[Tomshardware]

He was a far better player than we saw of him, by the end of last season his confidence looked destroyed. 

[Massive Attack]

In his debut season for us he was a big part of the Team that helped us win the Cup. Felt sorry for him in the end how he got a bit scapegoated after been Moyesed out of the picture. He was never as bad as some thought he was and no surprise to see him regain his form again this season. 

Who's decision was it to send him out on loan?

[the exile]

I would happily have him back too but I don't think he was very happy here. What I don't know is how much of that was down to Moyes and/or the style of play. Always thought there was a player in there but someone or something clearly messed with his head.

[RootsRadical]

Didn't suit the Moyes low block.

Idiotic move to loan him out and not replace him as we are seeing now 

[Helmut Shown]

I would have him back in a heartbeat. He was quality in the world cup but like so many others he was destroyed by Moyes negativity. With a bit of decent coaching he could be a decent asset. Ask yourself how many good players who came to us in the Moyes era all of a sudden were shit. Don't forget how much of a threat he was at corners and free kicks.

[goose]

he's been one of the best defenders in the league this season, we will get a decent wedge if we want to sell him. he's 28 so in his prime as a centre back.

as for having him back, take 5min to read back through this thread and remind yourself how bad he was. Moyes style of football doesn't excuse his poor positioning and unforced errors.

Yea I get that, but except for the real top sides what Spanish sides i.e Sociedad are going to play big money for a CB? I don't see it. 20 mil tops.

Not sure a top Spanish side would want him.

Yeh you're right, outside of 2 or 3 there aren't many with that kind of money. maybe if/when Sociedad sell Zubimendi they could be in a position.

There's always Italy or Saudi as well.

[Manuel]

he's been one of the best defenders in the league this season, we will get a decent wedge if we want to sell him. he's 28 so in his prime as a centre back.

as for having him back, take 5min to read back through this thread and remind yourself how bad he was. Moyes style of football doesn't excuse his poor positioning and unforced errors.

Yea I get that, but except for the real top sides what Spanish sides i.e Sociedad are going to play big money for a CB? I don't see it. 20 mil tops.

Not sure a top Spanish side would want him.

[goose]

he's been one of the best defenders in the league this season, we will get a decent wedge if we want to sell him. he's 28 so in his prime as a centre back.

as for having him back, take 5min to read back through this thread and remind yourself how bad he was. Moyes style of football doesn't excuse his poor positioning and unforced errors.

[Manuel]

The tubers are talking about this which is where I suspect you got it from. I'm skeptical about this player, gut says we're not good for each other and he's better off in Spain. Might get 15 mil ish for him if we're lucky.

[stubbo]

He can't come back this season and then who knows. He'd probably do well at LCB in Potter's model and I was surprised we loaned him out as he looked better than Mavro in pre season too.

[Far Cough UKunt]

Fuck knows what the Gooners saw in him?

[Mad Ferret]

He was good enough for the PL, he just wasn't suited to the backs-against-the-wall style that Moyes played.

[Lato]

No one is going to pay anywhere near what we paid for him. So yeah get him for the remainder of the season. He cannot be worse than the Greek statue.......can he?

[goose]

let him stay in Spain, its doing his value no harm at all.

maybe he is just more suited to spanish football, and thats fine. RM can have him for €50m in the summer.

[honky cat]

He still hasn't got over moysie calling him Nathan.
​​​​i don't think we should take anyone back ever. Except young kids out on loan. JWP etc, they all gawn, finito.

[Far Cough UKunt]

I'd like to see him back here if only to relegate Mavropanos to the bench PERMANENTLY.

[Django]

Already thinking ahead to next season….Could we see Aguerd slotting in on the left side of a back three? Always felt we didn’t get the best out of him, hopefully potter can. Kilman is better central of a three in my view.  In theory Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd could be pretty strong (for over £100m for the lot you’d expect it to be). 
 

[Eerie Descent]

"Zouma has had 2 bad games this season, Aguerd has probably had 2 good games, or more like 2 games without a disaster. He ain't good enough, regardless of how the team plays."

[ATHammer]

"There is little point in a ball playing centre half in a Moyes team. Yes, he has made mistakes but there is a footballer in there. As long as Moyes stays cloggers are what is needed. Hence more talk of the antithesis of a footballer, Maguire. Maguire can't pass but can make costly mistakes. As for the Greek lad surely he should come in for Zouma? Zouma runs like he is under water now, what will his knees be like when it gets cold?"