Ranocchia has been linked with a move to West Ham.
West Ham have been linked with a move for Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia this month as Manuel Pellegrini looks to bring in another central defender – and he would be an excellent signing, on the cheap.
Italian outlet CalcioMercato claim West Ham United are interested in the 30-year-old Italy international, with Winston Reid still sidelined. Angelo Ogbonna and Winston Reid have been linked with moves away from the London Stadium.
Ranocchia seems a decent signing anyway on the outlook of things, with fans likely to remember his excellent loan spell at Hull City that saw the Tigers almost produce the impossible and avoid relegation in 2016-17.
The towering Italian turned out 16 times for Hull during the second half of the campaign under Marco Silva, with Ranocchia scoring two goals and helping Hull keep four clean sheets.
The former Sampdoria and Genoa defender, though, is the perfect signing for West Ham this month because he is out of contract at Inter – and is likely to leave at any given opportunity because he has not even played for the Italians this term.
It means he will either be available on a pre-contract agreement for nothing, which would see Ranocchia sign on in the summer. Or, it means West Ham can land the rock-solid defender for a bargain price this month.
Inter will be desperate to sell the defender if it means they can bring in a fee for his services this month – avoiding losing Ranocchia on a free transfer in the summer or as part of a pre-contract deal.
The Hammers, then, would be able to sign a defender with plenty of experience at the highest level that has already showed he is more than impressive in the Premier League – for a bargain figure.
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