West Ham are understood to be hot on the heels of Rangers centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Hammers are currently battling relegation from the Premier League, and should they stay up, they would like to secure the services of the Nigeria international.
Rangers want north of £25m for Fernandez after his impressive debut season at Ibrox.
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West Ham could make concrete approach for Emmanuel Fernandez
According to TEAMtalk, West Ham could make a concrete approach for the 24-year-old in the coming weeks.
The London club have the centre-back high up on their priority list and could look to make a move for him.
They will have to move quickly as there are a number of Premier League clubs keen on securing his services.
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Arsenal were said to be leading the race to sign the centre-back a few weeks ago, and their interest is unlikely to fade ahead of the transfer window.
Everton are also seriously considering signing Fernandez, especially after another injury sustained by Jarrad Branthwaite.
German clubs Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund were among the first ones to register their interest and could look to make a move as well.
What can convince Fernandez to stay at Rangers?
Retaining Fernandez’s services is going to be a challenge, especially given the growing interest from Premier League clubs.
Securing Champions League football for next season would give the Light Blues a bargaining chip to convince him to stay for at least another year.
West Ham, Everton and even Chelsea will not be able to offer him that and he could help take this club into the post-James Tavernier era.
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Playing in Europe’s elite cup competition will give Fernandez the exposure he needs and his valuation could increase even more in the next 12 months.
The Ibrox hierarchy could offer him better terms and a longer contract to show him how much he means to them.
They could even agree on a fixed transfer fee as a release clause so that there are no deliberations over his future in the coming years.
Danny Rohl would also need to play his part in convincing the defender to stay put.
