According to Gianluca Di Marzio, West Ham United have bid €12m (£10m) for Spezia defender Jakub Kiwior.
The Polish centre-back is just 22 years old, and after just one season in Serie A, he’s already attracting interest from the Premier League.
A fully-fledged international, it’s fair to say that Kiwior impressed last season.
Indeed, the 22-year-old may have been playing for one of the weaker teams in Italy, but he had a massive part to play as Spezia beat the drop.
Averaging 2.3 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game, Kiwior proved incredibly difficult to get past, while his two successful long balls per match underline his quality in terms of passing – a skill that will be useful with Gianluca Scamacca leading the line.
Of course, at the age of 22, this young man is far from the finished product, but a spell at West Ham learning from the likes of Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma could see him improve substantially.
The Hammers certainly need a new centre-half through the door. Nayef Aguerd is out of action for the foreseeable future, while the sale of Issa Diop to Fulham has left the London club looking rather light at the back.
Ben Johnson had to fill-in as a makeshift centre-half against Manchester City on the opening day, and while Johnson is more than capable in that role, West Ham would much rather have a natural centre-half available for selection.
Kiwior could be the answer to David Moyes’ prayers, and at his age, he could be an option in that role for the best part of the next decade.
It remains to be seen whether or not the London club can get this deal over the line, but there’s every reason to believe this could be a fantastic signing if they do.
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