Following their spectacular end to last season, West Ham United have been enjoying a brilliant 2023/24 campaign, and at the halfway point, they find themselves sixth in the Premier League and through to the knockout rounds of the Europa League.
David Moyes has got his side firing on all cylinders, and while losing Declan Rice in the summer was a serious blow, the players bought in to replace him have been fantastic.
That said, with a real chance of more European silverware come May, the Hammers must make full use of the January transfer window, something it looks like they're doing, as the latest name touted for a move to the London Stadium could become their own Marc Guehi: Wolverhampton Wanderers' Max Kilman.
West Ham United transfer news – Max Kilman
According to sports broadcaster and journalist Ben Jacobs, Kilman is now a player to watch for West Ham in the January transfer window, especially if the potential exit of Nayef Aguerd is confirmed.
The Wolves stalwart was a target for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, but that interest seemingly fizzled out in August after he signed on to a new deal that does not expire until 2028.
This new contract has given the Old Gold some much-needed leverage in any potential negotiations, and as such, Jacobs expects that it could cost the Hammers up to £45m to secure the Englishman's signature this month.
While that would certainly represent a significant investment from the Irons, it might just be worth it to sign a player who Conor Coady described as "outstanding" when he was Wolves captain.
Max Kilman could be West Ham's Marc Guehi
The Premier League is blessed with an abundance of defensive talent; whether it is William Saliba at Arsenal, Virgil Van Dijk at Liverpool, Rúben Dias at Manchester City or even Sven Botman at Newcastle United, you cannot move for talented centre-backs in the top-flight.
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Yet, one exemplary talent often gets overlooked in such discussions: Crystal Palace's vice-captain, Guehi.
The young Englishman has been instrumental in the Eagles' steady Premier League existence over the last few years and has even won nine senior England caps.
So, the fact that he is viewed as the number one most similar player across Europe's top five leagues by FBref should excite the West Ham faithful, as if the "underrated" Kilman, as described by journalist Jacqui Oatley, ends up performing anywhere close to the level of the Palace star, then they'll have a real gem on their hands.
Position
Player
Club
1
Marc Guehi
Crystal Palace
2
Maxence Lacroix
Wolfsburg
3
Montassar Talbi
Lorient
4
Logan Costa
Toulouse
5
Diogo Leite
Union Berlin
That said, what are the similarities between the pair, aside from the obvious nationality and positional comparisons?
Well, it is in their underlying numbers that you will see most clearly the areas in which they are similar, although the extent to which their numbers match up is quite surprising.
For example, when it comes to non-penalty expected goals and assists per 90, their figures are just 0.01 apart; it is the same story for shots and almost the same for passes received.
Stat per 90
Kilman
Guehi
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.07
0.06
Progressive Carries
0.70
0.58
Shots
0.25
0.26
Passing Accuracy
82.5%
87.0%
Tackles
1.30
1.26
Interceptions
1.00
0.79
Clearances
4.70
4.37
Touches
69.3
67.3
Passes Received
46.9
44.7
Ball Recoveries
5.85
5.42
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season
Moreover, the statistical similarities carry over to their defensive metrics, with Kilman, whom Jacqui Oatley dubbed as "pure class", producing 1.30 tackles per 90, while his Palace counterpart produces 1.26, and both make over five ball recoveries per 90 as well.
Ultimately, while £45m is undoubtedly a lot of money for a centre-back, his striking similarities to the incredible Guehi should be more than enough to convince West Ham to pull the trigger on this one.