Konstantinos Mavropanos absent from Stuttgart training, he’s in London to sign for West Ham United

West Ham United target Konstantinos Mavropanos was absent from Stuttgart training ahead of a move to the London Stadium, according to Felix Arnold.

The BILD reporter tweeted (20 August) that the Greek international’s talks with West Ham are “well advanced” and he is already in London to complete the move.

Florian Plettenberg tweeted (19 August) that Stuttgart and West Ham have reached a “total agreement” for Mavropanos in a deal that will cost the Hammers £17.1million plus add-ons.

It’s coming

West Ham fans will be excited to see that a deal for the former Arsenal defender is edging its way closer and closer, and with the Greek in the capital to finalise the move, it looks all but done.

The Hammers have been in the market for a centre-back all summer. With a deal for Harry Maguire seemingly off, they quickly acted to secure Mavropanos’ move to the London Stadium.

He has quickly become one of the Bundesliga’s best young centre-backs following his move from Arsenal to Stuttgart in 2022. While Moyes was keen on Maguire, the Daily Mail claimed (16 August) that David Moyes is aware of the need to act quickly in the market and move on from the Manchester United man.

Moyes will likely be very happy to see Mavropanos come to the club as the 25-year-old can boast some impressive stats from his time in Germany. With 1.92 tackles per 90 (77th percentile), 2.52 interceptions per 90 (99th percentile) and 3.42 aerial duels won per 90 (95th percentile) [FBRef], he looks a complete and aggressive defender.

His ability to use his pace to quickly steal the ball from a sprinting forward shows his dynamism and athleticism which will benefit the Hammers greatly.

Mavropanos is also adept at ball progression, with 5.00 progressive passes per 90 (89th percentile) and 1.32 progressive carries per 90 (91st percentile). Meanwhile, his ability to generate shot-creating actions from the defence, with 1.41 per 90 (95th percentile) highlights where the Greek can be an impact on the other end of the pitch.

While many thought Mavropanos’ Premier League career was over after he departed the Gunners, he will look to establish himself as a quality operator under Moyes.