As West Ham prepare for life in the Championship, they have a busy summer ahead on the transfer front as they look to remodel their squad.
One area where the Irons are expected to look for reinforcements is at centre-back, with Adam Webster understood to be on their wanted list.
The former Bristol City and Ipswich Town man is set to leave Brighton after seven years at the Amex Stadium and will be seeking a new challenge.
Webster is available on a free transfer and the Hammers are likely to face competition for his services from several other Championship clubs.
Hammers look to plug defensive gap
Following their relegation from the Premier League, the Hammers - 9/4 to win the Championship - are expected to lose Konstantinos Mavropanos and Jean-Clair Todibo this summer.
The experienced Webster would provide a solid replacement, having established himself at Brighton as a consistent defender.
The 31-year-old made 138 appearances during his time on the South Coast, with the Seagulls believed to have paid in the region of £20million for his services.
Webster, who started his senior career at Portsmouth, also offers plenty of experience of playing in the Championship.
The Englishman made over 50 appearances for Ipswich during a two-year stint at Portman Road, while he featured 44 times for Bristol City before heading to Brighton.
West Ham will be keen to get a deal wrapped up as soon as possible, with Webster set to become a free agent at the end of June.
Nuno needs to find defensive stability
There's no doubt that defensive instability was one of the main reasons for the Hammers' top-flight struggles last season.
Only the bottom two - Wolves and Burnley - conceded more goals than West Ham, who finished the 2025-26 Premier League campaign with a -19 goal difference.
The Londoners - 4/6 to be promoted back to the top-flight at the first time of asking - leaked 65 goals last term - an average of 1.71 goals per game.
Nuno Espirito Santo is known as a manager who likes a solid defensive structure and West Ham fans will be hopeful that he is the man to rectify their issues at the back.
One concern over potential target Webster will be his recent injury problems, as he failed to make a single Premier League appearance last season.
The centre-back suffered a serious knee ligament problem last summer, although it's understood he is now fully fit again and ready for pre-season.
The Hammers faithful will be anxiously awaiting the release of the new EFL fixtures, with the games set to be announced on Thursday June 25th.
The new Championship season kicks off on the weekend of August 14-16, while the Hammers will also take their place in the EFL Cup first round.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
