West Ham gifted potential £13m defender signing as he’s ‘completely sidelined’

West Ham United are reportedly targeting a permanent move for FC Koln defender Rav van den Berg in the January transfer window. The Premier League club, managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, is expected to submit a concrete offer of around £13 million. Van den Berg joined Koln from Middlesbrough in 2025 for an initial £7 million fee.

The defender has been completely sidelined under Koln head coach Rene Wagner, failing to play a single minute of Bundesliga action during the 2026/27 campaign. Discontent has reportedly grown regarding his lack of playing time behind preferred center-backs Luka Lochoshvili, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and Joel Schmied.