Report: West Ham target Marcelo set to sign new Lyon contract

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West Ham United reportedly made several offers for Marcelo, but he is ready to commit his future to the Ligue 1 side.

According to a report from French outlet L’Equipe, West Ham look set to miss out on Brazilian defender Marcelo with the 31-year-old about to open talks over a contract extension at Lyon.

The Sun reported last month that Manuel Pellegrini was eyeing a move for the centre-back, but the Hammers would have to pay at least £15 million to get a deal done due to work permit criteria.

Some may have expected the Irons to back away at that stage given that Marcelo is probably only a few seasons away from the end of his career at the highest level. However, it appears that the Hammers were still keen to get something done.

According to L’Equipe, West Ham have made several offers for Marcelo this summer, but have seen all of their bids rejected by Lyon, who are now looking to agree a contract extension with the former Besiktas ace. The report adds that the two parties are expected to wrap up contract negotiations quickly.

It does not appear to be a major blow for West Ham to miss out on Marcelo. While he did impress during his first year in France, Pellegrini has managed to make a number of additions to his defensive options this summer and it appears that West Ham go into the new Premier League campaign with a decent unit at the back.

The Hammers kick off the new season with a very tricky tie as they travel to Merseyside to face Liverpool on Sunday. It must be noted however, that they did win emphatically the last time they visited Anfield early on in the season, with Slaven Bilic’s side winning 3-0 in August 2015.