Sheffield United, West Ham and Wrexham must react after defender's Brighton exit | OneFootball

Sheffield United, West Ham United, and Wrexham should all consider moves for former Brighton defender Adam Webster this summer

Brighton and Hove Albion have released 31-year-old centre-back Adam Webster, as FLW takes a look at three EFL clubs that should consider moves for the defender before the September 1st deadline.

Webster, having come through the youth system of Portsmouth and going on to make 81 appearances across all competitions for Pompey, spent time at Ipswich Town and Bristol City before securing a £20 million move to Brighton in the summer of 2019.

The Seagulls smashed their transfer record to bring Webster to the Amex after just one year in Bristol, and the former England youth international would go on to make over 150 appearances across all competitions on the South Coast over the next seven years.

Injuries limited his minutes for Brighton, and now, at 31, the Seagulls have decided to part ways with the defender, who could return to the Championship this summer.

Sheffield United

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Sheffield United has undergone a mass exodus since the end of last season, with nearly half of their senior squad having left the club either at the end of their loans, contracts, or having since been sold.

Of those departures include the likes of Leo Hjelde, Ben Mee, and Tyler Bindon, leaving a huge gap at the back that head coach Chris Wilder has yet to fill.

On top of that, Wilder has publicly stated that both Mark McGuinness and Nils Zatterstrom are not in his long-term plans at Bramall Lane, and are free to leave the club if an acceptable bid arrives.

This leaves just Japhet Tanganga and Jamal Baptiste as the only other senior options in South Yorkshire, with another centre-back or two a necessity before the end of the window.

Leicester City's Harry Souttar is being actively pursued, with an £8 million bid having been launched recently, though the Blades don't have cash to burn and should look elsewhere in the meantime.

Championship experience and quality, but on a free transfer, his addition would be more than ideal for Sheffield United and their current financial situation.

Wilder is not afraid of bringing in an experienced head, case in point with Matt Doherty's recent addition, and Webster ought to be next in line.

West Ham United

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West Ham United have finally got their summer up and running in recent days.

For a while, Keiber Lamadrid's permanent switch after his loan spell remained the Hammers' only addition this summer, but both Joel Veltman and Manor Solomon have made the move to East London in the past week.

Veltman, 34, joins on a free transfer, incidentally following his release from Brighton, and will cover at both centre-back and right-back for Nuno Espirito Santo's side in the Championship.

However, with Chelsea's Axel Disasi still being closely monitored, the Hammers are clearly keen for further reinforcements to add to that area, including the likes of Max Kilman, Konstantinos Mavropanos, and Jean-Clair Todibo, with the latter expected to leave before the deadline.

Webster, 31, would add another layer of experience and quality to Nuno's defensive options, and, unlikely to demand a starting berth straight away, would serve as an excellent backup option if required.

Having already formed a relationship during their time together at Brighton, West Ham should aim to rekindle their relationship in East London with Webster's addition, as on a free transfer, the Englishman poses very little risk.

Wrexham

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Wrexham is a club with Premier League ambitions, and this can be reflected in their transfer business over the past few years.

The Welsh outfit have flown through the leagues, and whilst they have had the financial advantage over the majority of their competitors, Phil Parkinson has still done an incredible job at the Racecourse Ground.

Danny Imray has joined from Crystal Palace for around £5 million, Ben Whiteman from Preston North End for around £3 million, whilst Sunderland shot-stopper Anthony Patterson is on the verge of completing an £8 million switch to become their new number one.

The one area that has been neglected more than most in recent years is their centre-backs, as aside from Callum Doyle, little investment has been poured into that area.

Whilst the likes of Max Cleworth, Zak Vyner, Dom Hyam, Dan Scarr, and Lewis Brunt offer stern competition in that area, another option that can boast Premier League and Championship experience should be on the cards, and Webster would be the perfect fit.

Capable of playing in either a back four or a back three, as Wrexham will likely deploy the latter, the 31-year-old would not cost them a fee after another hefty sum of spending this summer, with only his wages likely a sticking point.

Though the opportunity to join the Wrexham journey may prove to be an attractive offer for Webster at this stage in his career, the Welsh outfit should do everything they can to try and lure him to the club this summer.