Aston Villa defender Kortney Hause is reportedly interested in returning to former club West Ham United if the London club comes forward with an offer.
According to Football Insider, Kortney Hause could leave Aston Villa this month and favours a return to former club West Ham United. The east Londoners are reportedly interested in signing the versatile defender to ease their problems at the back.
Kortney Hause grabbed headlines earlier this season when his goal was the difference in Aston Villa’s crunch encounter with Manchester United at Old Trafford. That game, alongside a handful of others, have been his only real contribution on the pitch, as the defender has been on the fringes of the first-team squad.
While former manager Dean Smith was somewhat open to selecting Hause in his side when he deployed a back-three, the centre-back has been consigned to the bench more often than not under Steven Gerrard. The former Rangers boss prefers a back four, which leaves no place for the versatile defender to feature.
Even before January, there had been whispers of a possible move away from the club, which could finally materialise this month. Hause holds a contract until the end of the current season, while Aston Villa can extend it by another season. The Midlands club is looking to offload some fringe players in favour of bringing in new recruits, particularly in defence, which could force the defender to depart Villa Park.
West Ham United and Watford have been linked with Hause, and Aston Villa could benefit by extending his deal until 2023 and protecting his value. Villa can then either sell him in the current window or loan him until the end of the campaign.
West Ham have reportedly been interested in Hause for some time now, as David Moyes looks to address the issues at the back through the ongoing transfer window. Since losing key centre-backs Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma to serious injuries, the Hammers have been short at the back, with Issa Diop and Craig Dawson their two remaining centre-halves.
With Zouma likely to return soon, Moyes is unsure about the sort of a defender he would like to sign. On the one hand, they have been linked with Benoit Badiashile, who seems like a long-term solution, but reports elsewhere appear to point towards a backup to make up the numbers in the short term, which brings Hause into the picture.
The Hammers have also had a reported approach for Nayef Aguerd rejected by Rennes. So West Ham might be resigned to signing someone to make up their numbers. Hause could be a good option in that regard, as West Ham could look to thrash out a loan move for the Aston Villa defender.
The suggestion is that Hause might be open to joining West Ham, considering he knows the club from his youth days. His versatile nature could also be beneficial for Moyes to help with multiple positions. With Hause ready to return to West Ham, the onus is on the east Londoners to make their move for the Aston Villa defender.
