West Ham: Irons make first move for Ronnie Edwards
The Peterborough star has emerged as a new target at the London Stadium.
West Ham United have deployed chiefs to assess Peterborough defender Ronnie Edwards, but a fresh report has revealed that there are also two other clubs looking to bring him to the Premier League.
Who is Ronnie Edwards?
Edwards is naturally a centre-back who has plied his trade at the Weston Homes Stadium since 2020 having joined from Barnet’s academy setup, and during his three years at the club, he’s become an integral member and regular feature of Darren Ferguson’s squad having started 42 out of 46 League One games last season.
Even though the 20-year-old still has another two years remaining on his contract in the third tier, The Posh’s boss has admitted that his prized asset is likely to depart before the end of the window, recently stating during a public interview: “We fully expect Ronnie Edwards to go, so we’ll have to replace him”.
Football Scotland previously reported that the Irons have expressed an interest in the England youth international alongside Scottish Premiership giants Glasgow Rangers, so with competition for his signature fierce, David Moyes has already made chiefs take their admiration one step further.
Are West Ham signing Ronnie Edwards?
According to The Daily Mail’s Transfer Confidential, West Ham scouts “checked on” Edwards during Peterborough’s 3-1 victory over Barnsley last week. Fellow Premier League clubs Crystal Palace and Bournemouth have also “watched him closely”, whilst Rangers are once again name-checked in the report.
Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony has additionally delivered an update on the future of his star, as quoted by the same outlet:
“It’s an absolute joke Ronnie is still here. We are all amazed, and it’s not because we are being greedy or silly. I know three Premier League clubs will make bids for Ronnie before the transfer deadline. But they will sign other players first as they don’t want their first signing to be a 20-year-old from League One.”
How tall is Ronnie Edwards?
Standing at 5 foot 10, Edwards is relatively small for a centre-back, but that hasn’t stopped him from being an absolute rock at the heart of Ferguson’s backline since joining Peterborough, so should he sign on the dotted line, he could be a fantastic recruit for both the immediate and long-term future of West Ham.
The CMG Sports client, who pockets £2.7k-per-week, currently averages 4.8 clearances and 1.3 interceptions per league game, alongside recording a 93.1% pass success rate, via WhoScored, highlighting his excellent calmness and composure on the ball.
The Harlow-born talent, who has also provided two assists since the start of his career, is even beginning to make a name for himself on the international stage having represented the Three Lions at the Euro’s U19s tournament, so he is truly a star in the making.
The Posh’s “one man defensive wall”, as dubbed by reporter Ben Jones, is clearly a man in demand, so the hierarchy may have to act quickly should they want to beat their fellow competitors in the race for his services, and it could be well worth cashing out considering the positive impact he could have at the London Stadium.
