West Ham Look to Shake Up Defence in the Summer With Move for Fulham Star
West Ham will look to replace Sam Byram with 25-year-old Fulham right-back Ryan Fredericks in the summer, according to reports.
The Hammers signed Byram from Leeds two years ago for the price of £3.7m, but the full-back has not lived up to his promise in that time, only offering meagre performances in his 17 starts for the London club.
Although injuries have blighted the 24-year-old's West Ham career, which has meant he has only started two games this season, he has not shown significant signs of improvement so it is likely the Irons will offload him in the summer, according to Football.London.
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In comparison, Fredericks has been fantastic for Fulham this season, with performances that have undoubtedly contributed to their current place of fifth in the Championship.
The Englishman is out of contract at the end of the season, so he could arrive on a free. This makes the sale of Byram more likely as the club may look to make money from the whole deal.
He has provided the Cottagers with six assists this season, an impressive achievement for a full-back. He has also shown his ability in dribbling, something the Hammers have missed with veteran Pablo Zabaleta in right-back.
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With Zabaleta only having one more year left on his contract, Fredericks could also be considered a long-term prospect.
The move would also be beneficial to Fredericks as he would not have to move far and will receive an improved wage.
