This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

West Ham United are reportedly keen on signing Swansea City defender Ben Cabango according to ExWHUemployee on The West Ham Way podcast.

Cabango has impressed for Steve Cooper's side this term, as they narrowly missed out on promotion back into the Premier League, after a defeat to Brentford in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

The defender made 35 appearances in total for the Swans in the 2020/21 season, and it appears as though his strong performances haven't gone unnoticed.

West Ham are believed to be keen on reaching an agreement to land his signature this summer, as David Moyes looks to add depth to his defensive options ahead of the new league campaign.

The Hammers finished sixth in the Premier League table this term, and will be hoping to build on this impressive season moving forwards.

We ask our Football League World writers what they make of West Ham's reported interest in signing Cabango this summer.

Chris Thorpe:

Cabango was the be the perfect signing for West Ham as he would significantly reduce the average of age of their backline.

He formed a key part of one of the Championship’s meanest defences and still has his best years ahead of him as a professional.

I would say he is needed by the Hammers because they will be embarking on a testing Europa League campaign next season that will mean they have to utilise the full capacity of their squad.

The arrival of the Swansea defender and several other new signings will allow David Moyes to rotate his team more regularly.

However, he has a contract until 2025 at the Liberty Stadium and won’t come cheap by any means.

Jordan Rushworth:

This would be the perfect sort of signing for West Ham to make this summer, with Cabango being a player that fits in well with their recent recruitment model and someone that you could see adding to the excellent squad that David Moyes has been building.

Cabango is a player that has a lot of potential and is a quality defender already which has been in full show throughout the campaign with his string of impressive displays for Swansea. To be producing such consistent form at his age shows just how good he could be when he reaches his peak in the next few years.

He would be a player with a lot of potential to provide a significant profit if he develops as expected in the coming years. Therefore, it makes sense for West Ham to invest in him now this summer and try and get the best out of him in the next few seasons.

The defender would be the right signing for them to make and show a lot about how they plan to build on their success recently and cement that into the future.

 

 

Toby Wilding:

I'll be honest, I'm not quite sure about this would be the move for West Ham at the minute.

There is no denying that Cabango is a solid defender, and one who having helped Swansea to back to back Championship play-off campaigns, as well as breaking into the international set-up with Wales, may feel like he is getting to the point where he is ready to step-up to the Premier League.

However, when you look at the options that West Ham already have at centre back with the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Issa Diop, Craig Dawson, Fabian Balbuena and Frederik Alves, it doesn't really feel like they need another one such as Cabango at the minute, and I'm not sure whether he'd get the minutes he would want at the London Stadium as a result of that either.

Add to that the fact that Cabango is unlikely to be cheap, given he only signed a new long-term contract with Swansea a couple of months ago, meaning this may take a significant chunk out of West Ham's transfer budget, and it just feels to me like David Moyes and co. may be better off spending their funds on other areas of the squad that are in greater need of strengthening, such as support for Michail Antonio upfront.