West Ham United have been linked with a move for Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, however, former hammer Frank McAvennie is not convinced that Rugani can handle himself in the Premier League.
Speaking to Football Insider correspondent Dylan Childs, McAvennie opined that West Ham would be better off signing someone from the Championship and not a foreigner that has not been tried in England.
The initial speculation linking West Ham with Rugani came from journalist Gianluca Di Marzio who claimed that West Ham and Newcastle had a “strong interest” in signing the 26-year-old but McAvennie is not impressed with the likelihood of Rugani making a move to the London stadium.
“Go and get somebody from the Championship. Forget about bringing in one of these foreigners that have not been tried in England”, McAvennie told Football Insider
“Go to the Championship, there are lots of foreigners and home-grown guys – they are tried and tested. They can handle themselves because of the ruff and tumble nature of the Championship. That is what West Ham need. We need somebody that can stand up and be counted.
McAvennie is entitled to his opinion but I feel that he is wide of the mark here. Rugani is a quality defender, especially in comparison to a second-tier player in England and there is no more of a guarantee that any player can step up from the Championship to the Premier League than there is from Serie A to the Premier League.
