Sporting Kansas City Open to Permanent Winston Reid Deal
By Tom Gott
Sporting Kansas City would be interested in signing West Ham centre-back Winston Reid on a permanent deal if the New Zealand international expresses an interest in staying.
Reid joined Sporting KC on loan back in February as he looked to prove his fitness after missing nearly two years because of a nasty knee injury he suffered in March 2018, but the COVID-19 outbreak meant he had to wait until August 2020 for his debut.
After looking a bit rusty during his first few weeks in Major League Soccer, Reid has managed to find his footing and has looked comfortable, starting five of the team's last eight games. According to MLS Soccer, he's done enough to convince Kansas that a permanent deal could be of interest.
The situation isn't advanced at all just yet. It's more a case of the MLS side liking what they've seen from Reid. There's no option to buy in their loan deal, which expires at the end of December, so things would have to be agreed between them, West Ham and Reid himself.
However, if Reid did indicate a willingness to stay in America next year, it's something which could be pursued.
Reid still has three years left on his contract at the London Stadium, so the Hammers will be in no rush to offload the 32-year-old, although it's hard to see a way back for Reid at West Ham.
David Moyes already has Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna, Fabian Balbuena and Craig Dawson on the books, while left-back Aaron Cresswell has been doing a job in a central role as of late, so Reid would likely be on the fringes if he did come back.
The chance to make some money by selling Reid may prove too tempting for Moyes, who is thought to be keen to invest in other areas of the squad.
Despite his lack of appearances over the past two years, Reid still remains a popular figure at the London Stadium.
Since joining from Midtjylland back in 2010, Reid has racked up 223 appearances for the Hammers, helping them earn promotion from the Championship and blossoming into a solid defender at Premier League level before his knee injury derailed his career.