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West Ham United have reached an agreement to sign Leicester City defender Wout Faes. Nuno Espirito Santo has spent the closing stages of the transfer window searching for another centre-back, with several different options explored as Jean-Clair Todibo nears his long-awaited departure. According to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, West Ham reached a verbal agreement with Leicester overnight for Faes, with the 28-year-old expected to sign a three-year contract at London Stadium. But there is very little mystery surrounding what kind of defender West Ham are getting. Brendan Rodgers worked with Faes following his £15m arrival at Leicester from Reims in 2022 and quickly described him as a genuine leader who "loves to defend". Brendan Rodgers loved Wout Faes' aggression Faes arrived at Leicester during a difficult period, with the Foxes sitting near the bottom of the Premier League and Rodgers desperately needing greater authority in his defence. Speaking only weeks after his arrival, Rodgers praised Faes' football intelligence, aerial aggression, passing range and willingness to defend on the front foot. But his assessment of the defender's personality was perhaps even more striking. "He's a leader and you don't see so many in the modern game," Rodgers said. "His biggest attribute is that he loves to defend. He defends forward, he's aggressive." Rodgers had initially highlighted Faes' leadership qualities before he had even made his Leicester debut, saying his personality was obvious immediately and predicting that he would bring the kind of authority the squad needed. A few weeks later, Rodgers said Faes played with an experience beyond his age and carried a "quiet assurance," while specifically noting the authority he brought onto the training ground and then transferred into matches. Even after the infamous night at Anfield when Faes scored two own goals in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, Rodgers immediately backed him. "He's been brilliant since he came in. Every performance he's been outstanding," he said, before describing Faes as a "strong character" who would recover from the setback. That resilience feels particularly relevant to a West Ham side trying to respond immediately to relegation. W. Faes Belgium • Age 28 • Defender Teammates quickly saw Faes as a leader Foxes teammate Harry Souttar partnered him after arriving at Leicester in January 2023 and spoke about how comfortable the Belgian made him feel at the heart of the Leicester defence. "He's a really good player," Souttar said. "He's really comfortable on the ball. You feel confident giving it to him, because he doesn't give it away." The Australia international then echoed Rodgers' comments on Faes' leadership qualities. "He's a leader as well. He's a talker and he's mobile as well. It's good to play beside him." That reputation had actually followed Faes for years before he ever reached England. Former Belgium youth coach Bob Browaeys, who knew him from the age of 15, once described Faes as someone who had "always been a leader", saying teammates listened to him because of his charisma rather than because he shouted. Browaeys even said that while captaining Belgium's youth teams, Faes effectively became his "second coach" on the pitch, correcting distances, positioning and the team's defensive organisation. Faes himself has always regarded leadership as a natural part of his game. When he joined Leicester, he said: "I try to be a leader on the pitch. This is something that marks my game." Faes has already done exactly what West Ham need There is another obvious attraction for West Ham. Faes already knows what a successful Championship promotion campaign looks like. He remained with Leicester following their relegation in 2023 and became a key part of Enzo Maresca's side as they immediately returned to the Premier League as Championship winners. Faes started 40 league matches during that campaign and later explained that the entire squad had been focused from the outset on one objective - going straight back up. That experience is valuable for West Ham now as they seek an immediate return to the Premier League. Faes has a Championship winners' medal, as do Manor Solomon and Joel Piroe, and he experienced the pressure that comes with being part of a relegated club expected to bounce straight back. Faes spent the second half of last season on loan at Monaco, where general manager Thiago Scuro described him as someone with a "great personality" who had been considered a leader inside the Leicester dressing room. His former Belgium youth coach effectively regarded him as another coach on the pitch. And, perhaps most importantly given West Ham's circumstances, Faes has already helped a relegated club win the Championship at the first attempt. That combination makes Nuno's latest defensive signing very easy to understand, even if it does seem to be very underwhelming. Have your say in the comments! Do you think this is a good signing? Does Wout Faes walk straight into Nuno's starting XI? Who does he replace? Have your say in the comments below...