West Ham United are in pole position to sign Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, who is surplus to requirements in Turin and could be offloaded before Monday’s transfer deadline, according to Corriere Torino.
The Hammers have seen efforts to sign Burnley’s James Tarkowski fail this summer, while a host of other central defenders have been linked with a move to East London.
West Ham need reinforcements at the back, especially as Issa Diop is currently self isolating and David Moyes has recently switched to a three-man defence on occasion.
Rugani is highly rated given he is an Italy international and has plenty of experience playing in Serie A and the Champions League.
However, West Ham could take advantage of the fact that Juventus have lots of other top-class defenders and the 26-year-old is not guaranteed first-team football as a result.
Landing Rugani would be a real statement of intent by the Hammers and bring back some faith in the disillusioned fanbase.
West Ham have conducted business with Juventus in the recent past, with current centre-half Angelo Ogbonna swapping Turin for the London Stadium.