Mavropanos travelled to London over the weekend to consummate the transaction, and he was present for the 3-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday. Tim Steidten, the director of football, offered Mavropanos and his representative a tour of the arena.
Before making this acquisition, Moyes’ defensive alternatives included Thilo Kehrer, Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, and Angelo Ogbonna. In the victory over Chelsea, defence was handled by Zouma and Aguerd, but Mavropanos has a lot to offer and may force his way into the starting eleven due to his defensive performance last season. In the previous season, he had the most interceptions among all Bundesliga center-backs.
West Ham switched their attention to the Greek international when their offer for Harry Maguire fell through. Despite Manchester United accepting a £30 million deal for the defender, Maguire’s transfer to the London Stadium fell through as West Ham became anxious while waiting for the 30-year-old to decide whether or not to leave Old Trafford. Personal issues were never resolved between the player and Moyes.
Before teaming up with Mavropanos, Moyes and his recruitment staff studied Bayer Leverkusen defenders Odilon Kossounou and Jonathan Tah after turning their focus to other defensive targets. The pivotal period in Mavropanos’ career was his three-year stint with Stuttgart. Mislintat was eager to reconnect with the Greek international who had been on loan when he first joined the German team in April 2019 as sports director.
Mavropanos’ Defensive Campaign So Far
The previous season, Mavropanos had the most interceptions of any center-back in the Bundesliga. In terms of aerial duel success, he was only surpassed by former Stuttgart teammate Dan-Axel Zagadou. Mavropanos once again concluded the season in the top five in terms of duel success. His defensive prowess will be a welcome boost for Moyes as he seeks to improve on his 14th-place league finish from the previous year.
The Athens-born central defender becomes West Ham’s first Greek player. His journey to east London began as a striker for Apollon Smyrnis. However, his height characterised him as a natural defender, and he returned to centre back at PAS Giannina, where he left an indelible impression on coaches. Mavropanos joined the Greek national team in 2016, making 23 appearances across all competitions and scoring three goals.
Mavropanos is very proactive, therefore he frequently breaks from the defensive line to mount challenges. Although such impulsiveness may be incredibly productive, it also has to be balanced by other, more submissive team members.
Likewise, his propensities towards the ball. He will carry and distribute the ball fiercely and well, which should be a big aid in creating opportunities higher up the pitch in addition to just transferring control into midfield. Mavropanos thinks he still needs to take care of business in England. So, a focused driven, and inspired Mavropanos would undoubtedly be advantageous for West Ham this season.
