West Ham United and Aston Villa are reportedly monitoring the progress of Scottish defender Jack Hendry who plays for Belgian giants Club Brugge.
According to a report from Belgian outlet Voetbal Belgie, Club Brugge defender Jack Hendry has popped up on the radars of Premier League clubs West Ham United and Aston Villa ahead of the January transfer window.
Hendry came through the ranks at Celtic and spent time with the youth teams of Peterborough United, Dundee United and Partick Thistle, where he made his professional breakthrough before signing for Wigan Athletic in 2015. After a series of loan spells, he returned to Scotland in 2017, signing for Dundee FC and six months later, he was back at boyhood club Celtic.
However, Hendry’s time at Celtic wasn’t too successful, leading to a loan spell at Melbourne City FC in January last year. The 26-year-old then spent the last season out on a temporary stint with Belgian club KV Oostende, where he made a solid impression, forcing the club to sign him permanently this summer, only to sell him to Club Brugge.
Since arriving at the Jan Breydel Stadium, Hendry has proven to be a positive addition to the squad, missing just two of their 18 matches across all competitions this season. The towering Scotsman has taken part in all four of the Blue-Blacks’ four UEFA Champions League matches and done well, despite their recent heavy losses against Manchester City.
Hendry has even captained the team on several occasions this season. Given his resurgent run after the decline at Celtic, Hendry has registered himself on the radars of clubs in England. West Ham United and Aston Villa are now said to have taken an interest in the centre-back, who stands at 1.92m tall.
West Ham bolstered their defence in the summer with the signing of Kurt Zouma, who has settled in well, forging a solid partnership with Angelo Ogbonna. However, the latter will be 34 years old when the season ends, while fellow defender Craig Dawson is also into his thirties. So, refreshing his defensive options could be a smart move from David Moyes either in January or the summer.
To that end, they had been credited with an interest in Rangers’ Connor Goldson not very long ago, with Hendry also now emerging as an option. However, they will have to contend with competition from rivals Aston Villa in pursuit of the Scotsman. The Midlands outfit have struggled defensively of late, with their fortunes dwindling in the Premier League.
So, tightening things up at the back would be important for Dean Smith & co. In addition, Kortney Hause is in the final year of his contract, while Axel Tuanzebe is only on loan from Manchester United. A new centre-back could, thus, be a wise signing for the Villans leading to links with Harry Souttar, while Hendry has also entered the fray.
Apart from West Ham and Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion are also keeping tabs on the Scotsman’s situation at Club Brugge. It remains to be seen if any of the clubs attempt to sign Hendry during the January transfer window or wait until the summer to launch a move.
