West Ham United in Brighton transfer tussle for player that wants to return to England | OneFootball

West Ham are one of the teams linked with a move for CJ Egan-Riley

West Ham are preparing for the new Championship campaign after coming 18th in the Premier League.

The Irons were two points adrift of safety, and are now back in the second tier for the first time since 2012.

Nuno Espirito Santo has been tasked with leading their promotion push, and his last experience at this level involved winning the league title with Wolves in 2018.

But it promises to be a busy next few weeks before the season gets underway in August, with speculation surrounding several members of the first team squad.

The Portuguese coach will also be keen to bolster his side as well, meaning there could be a lot of transfer activity at the London Stadium.

West Ham have until 1 September to conclude any potential deals before the market shuts until January.

West Ham eye ex-Burnley defender

Action Images

It has been reported by French outlet Le Phocheen that West Ham are interested in a deal for CJ Egan-Riley.

The former Burnley player is out of favour at Marseille just 12 months on from joining the Ligue 1 giants.

This has opened the door for a potential return to English football, with the Hammers looking to bolster their defensive options amid speculation surrounding Jean-Clear Todibo.

However, the London outfit face competition from Brighton, who have sold Jan Paul van Hecke and let the likes of Adam Webster depart over the summer.

Egan-Riley helped Burnley gain promotion to the Premier League in 2025, but departed the Lancashire outfit with the expiration of his contract.

However, he struggled for form in France, making just 11 appearances in the league, including only seven starts, with the team finishing fifth in the table.

Roberto de Zerbi’s departure as manager didn’t lead to him returning to the side after the Italian dropped him down the pecking order as the campaign wore on, as he played twice under his replacement Habib Beye.

Southampton and Ipswich Town were both also linked with the centre-back earlier this summer.

It was claimed that the defender is open to returning to England, which will come as a boost for West Ham in this pursuit.

The 23-year-old has a contract with the Ligue 1 side until June 2029, but Marseille are believed to be open to his sale this summer.

It remains to be seen what kind of fee it will take to convince the French club to cash in on Egan-Riley.

Action Images

CJ Egan-Riley would be a smart move for West Ham

If Todibo is sold, then bolstering the backline will make sense, and West Ham could do a lot worse than bringing in Egan-Riley.

It’s likely he could be available for a reasonable figure given he is out of favour at Marseille, and his arrival as a free agent last year means they don’t need to recoup a massive fee from his sale.

He is an experienced defender despite only being 23, and he knows what it takes to compete to a high standard in the Championship from his promotion success at Turf Moor.

While the Premier League competition could be difficult to compete with, it’s a move that could work out quite well for West Ham if they can pull it off.