Why West Ham want Max Kilman – and why Wolves are willing to let him go

New West Ham United head coach Julen Lopetegui has wasted no time in returning to his old stomping ground to secure his top summer transfer target.

After seeing a £25 million ($31.9 million) bid rejected, Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to accept West Ham United’s improved £40 million offer for their captain, Maximilian Kilman. The 27-year-old defender, who attracted interest from then-Italian champions Napoli last summer, has made 151 appearances since joining Wolves from non-League side Maidenhead United in 2018.

So what kind of player is Kilman? Do Wolves have any replacements in mind? And is he the only defender Lopetegui wants to sign? The AthleticWest Ham and Wolves reporters Roshane Thomas and Steve Madeley provide some answers.

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Why do West Ham want Kilman?

Roshane Thomas: With the futures of captain Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd uncertain, West Ham are looking for a centre-back. Zouma is in the final year of his contract and Aguerd has attracted interest from his former club Rennes. West Ham are therefore open to offers for either player. Aguerd has changed agents, joining the same agency as Zouma.

Kilman worked with Lopetegui during the Spaniard’s 10-month tenure at Wolves in 2022-23. The defender was identified as a top target by West Ham’s new head coach before technical director Tim Steidten gave the green light to the move.

West Ham were admittedly porous defensively last season, conceding 74 Premier League goals – the fourth worst record in the division, better than only relegated trio Sheffield United (104), Luton Town (85) and Burnley (78).

Why are Wolves willing to let Kilman go?

Steve Madeley: Wolves were reluctant to let their captain go but, in the end, West Ham’s offers reached a level that was simply too good to refuse.

Last summer, as Wolves sought to raise funds to avoid breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), some in the Molineux hierarchy were already arguing for Kilman to leave. The £30m they could have received would have been an almost pure profit in PSR terms, given that he had cost fifth-tier club Maidenhead just £40,000 six years ago. But in the end, Wolves decided that was not enough money to offset the key attributes he brought to their team: comfort in possession, professionalism, pace and an excellent injury record.

Even though their PSR situation is much less dire a year later, the profit is simply too great to dismiss. In pure monetary terms, Wolves believe they can replace Kilman and end up with a significant financial gain.

What kind of player will West Ham sign?

Madeleine: Kilman’s main qualities are his reading of the game and his ball control, but his durability is also valuable.

The centre-back has played every minute of Wolves’ 2023-24 Premier League season and started 37 of 38 games last season. He’s almost always available, so West Ham will get their money’s worth.

There are weaknesses in his game. Despite his 6-foot-3 stature, he doesn’t always display much physical strength and thrives best when paired with a defender who likes to battle with a rugged opposing forward. When Kilman is asked to fill this role himself, he may struggle.

How will he fit into Lopetegui’s style?

Thomas: Lopetegui wants West Ham to play attacking football with personality.

The team’s cautious approach was a problem under predecessor David Moyes, with most fans feeling he failed to get the best out of his team. Kilman can help West Ham play out from the back, a style their defenders struggled with last season.

Off the pitch, Kilman would bring leadership qualities. Zouma was named captain after Former captain Declan Rice left for £105million to Arsenal last summer but he has failed to impress in the role.

Win, lose or draw, Rice has always been there for the club, even when criticised for his body language. With West Ham’s morale low as they face a relegation battle in the 2022-23 season, the England midfielder called a team meeting, which led to an uptick in performance. Zouma has shown no signs of defusing in the same way.

What was his relationship with Lopetegui like when they were at Wolves?

Madeleine: Lopetegui’s time at Wolves was too brief for the Spaniard to form a particularly close bond with his players, but he did manage to forge a strong working relationship with Kilman. Lopetegui based his remarkable rescue of Wolves (bottom of the ladder when he was appointed during the World Cup break that lasted until just before Christmas, they took 31 points from 23 games under his management and were safe with three games remaining) on ​​his solidity in defence, particularly at Molineux, and Kilman’s defensive partnership with Craig Dawson was key.

Lopetegui believed he could trust Kilman to follow instructions and saw him as a quiet leader in the locker room, setting an example for his teammates with his approach to training and conditioning. Lopetegui also saw Kilman’s brief stint in the Wolves academy – signed at 21, he broke into the first team almost immediately – as important in showing the way for other young players.

What other changes should Lopetegui make?

Thomas: Lopetegui could name a new captain, with Zouma’s future uncertain as detailed above. Edson Alvarez, Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and Jarrod Bowen are said to be among the contenders, but Kilman’s leadership qualities would also be attractive to Lopetegui.

Kilman shouldn’t be the only defensive signing this summer, either. Following the release of Angelo Ogbonna at the end of the 36-year-old’s contract and the departure of Ben Johnson as a free agent to Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town, the recognised options at centre-back are currently Aguerd, Zouma and Konstantinos Mavropanos, leaving LOpetegui is looking for another central defender.

West Ham have had a £25million bid rejected for Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo and are considering making an improved offer for the 24-year-old, two-cap Frenchman.

How do Wolves plan to replace Kilman?

Madeleine: Wolves have had a list of potential targets at centre-back for most of the summer, with uncertainty surrounding Kilman and, to a lesser extent, fellow defender Yerson Mosquera. With Kilman now set to leave, they will be stepping up the search in earnest, with at least one new arrival expected to replace the departing captain.

Topping the list is Borussia Monchengladbach’s Nico Elvedi, 27, a Swiss international who was on the verge of joining Molineux a year ago until Wolves opted to sign Santiago Bueno from Spanish club Girona.

After signing a new contract until 2027 last September, Elvedi is understood to have a release clause set at around £8.5m.

Wolves have also observed and conducted exploratory inquiries on Thomas Beelen (23) of Dutch club Feyenoord. They have also monitored David Carmo (24) of Portuguese club Porto and I’ve been keeping an eye on Hull City’s Jacob Greaves (23), who is the subject of keen interest from Ipswich. They could sign two centre-backs but Mosquera, who finished last season well on loan at Villarreal in the Spanish La Liga, will have a chance to impress in pre-season.

(Top photo: James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images)