EXCLUSIVE: West Ham in advanced talks with experienced free agent as Hammers make decision over signing of Champions League winner to fill crucial position

West Ham have now made an internal decision to keep pursuing one free agent.

Despite the closure of the transfer window, Tim Steidten – Director of Football at the London Stadium – can still bring a new face or two to east London by scouring the free agent market.

In case you missed it, West Ham have already started exploring this market when opening talks with Joel Matip and John Egan – after the defenders left Liverpool and Sheffield United respectively. That situation has fizzled out somewhat – but now, West Ham are set for more talks with one of these free agents…

A story from RUHR24 in Germany now states that West Ham are planning to hold further talks with Joel Matip about a move to the London Stadium.

Presumably, Steidten felt that discussions with the 33-year-old were more productive than they were with Egan, as the Irons have now decided to focus on signing the man who made 150 Premier League appearances for Liverpool.

The German news outlet state that “further negotiations are pending” between West Ham and Matip, who earned a salary of £140,000-a-week at Anfield.

Lopetegui is in need of a new central defender after allowing Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd to leave West Ham during the summer transfer window for Al-Orobah and Real Sociedad respectively. If West Ham offer Matip – who Virgil van Dijk called an “amazing” footballer – anything longer than a deal lasting just 12 months, it would be a foolish decision.

Despite the man from Bochum’s obvious quality, he missed 37 games for Liverpool last season due to a cruciate ligament tear, which is not an easy injury to overcome for any footballer, let one one in the latter stages of his career.