Credit: Imago

Oliver Walton

Fri 20 March 2026 8:15, UK

Follow us on Google Discover

West Ham United could be preparing to sell out-of-favour defender Max Kilman this summer as they are linked with a move to sign Independiente’s Kevin Lomonaco.

Kilman has been ousted from West Ham’s backline by Axel Disasi in recent months while they battle against relegation to the Championship.

The 28-year-old’s last Premier League appearance came on 31 January, and his time spent out of the Hammers’ starting eleven has coincided with their recent upturn in form.

Many West Ham fans have slammed his performances this season, and it looks as if the club are already planning for this summer, with Boca Noticias reporting that they have joined Boca Juniors, Crystal Palace and Sevilla in the race to sign Lomonaco.

West Ham’s transfer plans will mostly be on the back burner as they focus on staying in the Premier League, but regardless of what happens, the Argentine centre-back could well end up being Kilman’s replacement in East London.

Who is Kevin Lomonaco?

Lomonaco has played his entire career so far in South American football, with spells at Red Bull Bragantino, Lanus and Tigre before joining Independiente on a permanent deal from the former last summer.

He has played over 70 times for Independiente across an 18-month loan and his current spell at the club, and in the words of Atletico Mineiro boss Eduardo Dominguez, the 24-year-old is “one of the great players in Argentine football today.”

He was linked to West Ham last summer before joining Independiente permanently, but publicly admitted that he had heard nothing of the rumours as Wolfsburg were also touted to move for his services.

Lomonaco played 44 times for the club in the 2025 campaign, while he has made 10 appearances so far this season and been one of the statistical standouts among his centre-back peers in the division.

Boca Noticias’ report states that Lomonaco has indicated he is ready to leave Independiente amid the growing interest in his signature, and the Hammers look well-placed to make him theirs if they wish to this summer.

Lomonaco could replace Kilman at West Ham this summer

Sergio Aguero, who came through Independiente’s youth ranks, has called Lomonaco a “phenomenon,” and he has also been recognised by Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni after a maiden international call-up last year.

That is certainly more than can be said for Kilman, who has failed to live up to his hefty £40million price tag and has not appeared in any of the Hammers’ last five games across all competitions.

His last Premier League appearance came against Chelsea in January, when he was substituted on with West Ham 2-1 up and they went on to lose 3-2 in dramatic fashion.

Nuno Espirito Santo refused to place blame on the 28-year-old for the loss, but indirectly called his defenders out by insisting that they needed “to do things properly.”

The fact that he has been left out in the league ever since points to only one outcome this summer, which is Kilman leaving the London Stadium.

He should not be short of suitors after Football Insider revealed that Crystal Palace were interested in Kilman ahead of the recent winter window.

These new links to Lomonaco show that the club are focused on bolstering their centre-back options, and so the 28-year-old seems even more likely to depart in the coming months.