If West Ham United were already intent on signing a defender with 61 Championship appearances under his belt – and reports in Europe believe they are – then surely the injury suffered by Konstantinos Mavropanos makes a January addition an inevitability.

Mavropanos damaged his knee in a collision with Daniel Peretz during the dying embers of Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at the London Stadium. Early fears regarding a potential ACL rupture have been scotched, fortunately, but that’s the end of the good news. Now, onto the bad…

Now, they say that money cannot fix everything. But it can certainly help. According to German publication Express, West Ham United were already lining up a £13 million January deal for Rav van den Berg.

Presuming that Mavropanos will not be seen again until the start of 2027 at the earliest, FC Koln’s former Middlesbrough man has surely been upgraded from an ‘affordable opportunity’ to an ‘absolute necessity’.

Rav van den Berg can be West Ham United’s Konstantinos Mavropanos solution

The Express stated in September that West Ham were planning to make a ‘concrete offer’ for the Dutch Under-21 international in the New Year. Van den Berg is out of favour at Koln. He hasn’t played a single minute of Bundesliga football this season, while coach Rene Wagner has confirmed that he is currently fourth in the central defensive pecking order.

Of course, if Wagner is sacked, Van den Berg’s situation could change. Audible chants of ‘Wagner Out’ could be heard as Koln were held to a goalless draw by newly-promoted Schalke at the weekend. It looks ominous for the head coach.

But if the under-fire Wagner stays, or his successor sticks with the current defensive set-up, then Van den Berg will almost definitely be on the move in 2027.

“We are in regular contact with Rav and his representatives, and are of course aware that his current situation is not satisfactory for him,” Thomas Kessler, Koln’s sporting director, tells Bild. “So far, things haven’t gone as planned for either side.

“If his sporting situation doesn’t fundamentally change by the winter, we will of course sit down with him and his agency and openly discuss what the best course of action is for everyone involved.”

Former Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick was a big Van den Berg fan

Van den Berg, like Mavropanos, is right footed. Managers are often reticent to start two left-footers together at centre-back. If Nuno does not want to pair Max Kilman and Morato, his other choices are a natural full-back in Joel Veltman and a largely untested teenager with only two senior starts under his belt.

Airidas Golambeckis could blossom in Mavropanos’ absence, like Anton Ferdinand did in 2004 when injuries deprived Alan Pardew of Christian Dailly and Malky Mackay. But what if he doesn’t? Van den Berg, having played 66 games in two seasons for current Championship leaders Middlesbrough, offers a sensible, affordable alternative.

Express, a publication based in the Cathedral City of Cologne, adds that his Bundesliga employers would be willing to consider loan deals as well as permanent offers.

“I’m hugely impressed,” former Middlesbrough coach Michael Carrick told Teesside Live a few months before Van den Berg was named Boro’s 2023/24 Young Player of the Year. “He’s a terrific individual, really grounded and humble, terrific character and great attitude. He has a real calming influence but is quite sure of himself in a really good way as well.

“He has the ability to [play in multiple positions]. He’s a really good footballer, he’s clever, sharp, hungry, and he has a great attitude. It’s absolutely terrific [to work with] someone of Rav’s capabilities and potential.”

Only time will tell when we will see Mavropanos again. Until then, Golambeckis will be desperate to seize his opportunity. But keep an eye on Van den Berg’s situation in Germany too.