According to the Express, West Ham have made a bid for Newcastle target Attila Szalai after seeing an offer for Thilo Kehrer rejected by Paris Saint-Germain.
What’s the story?
Well, the east Londoners saw their £10m offer for the Germany international turned down, as David Moyes looks to add another centre-back to his squad.
The Express believe West Ham will return to Paris with an improved offer for Kehrer, although in the meantime, they have lodged an undisclosed bid for Szalai – who Eddie Howe supposedly wants at Newcastle.
Interestingly, the Express add that West Ham are not intent on signing just one of the pair, and both could feasibly arrive at the London Stadium.
After all, Moyes needs numbers. Angelo Ogbonna is still recovering from a serious knee injury, and nobody knows if the Italian will be the same player given the fact he is now 34 years of age.
Kurt Zouma was the only senior centre-back available to Moyes for the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, as Craig Dawson and Nayef Aguerd were sidelined through injury.
West Ham have also allowed Issa Diop to move across London to Fulham on a permanent basis.
Interest in Szalai comes after he made 42 appearances in all competitions for Fenerbahce last season.
The £14,000-a-week man’s name may ring a bell for some fans, as he helped Hungary tear England apart by a 4-0 scoreline at Molineux in June.
West Ham should be careful with Newcastle target
In our view, West Ham need to be wary of overstocking their centre-back department.
Yes, options are thin at the moment, but if both Kehrer and Szalai are signed, Moyes would then have six options when Zouma, Aguerd, Dawson and Ogbonna are all fit.
In our view, that is far too many, and Moyes risks leaving some of these players disheartened if they end up spending months on the sidelines.
Only if West Ham cannot strike a deal for Kehrer should Szalai be signed – if both are purchased, trouble could be on the horizon.
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