David Moyes is looking to strengthen his central defensive options ahead of the new campaign; West Ham have made only two senior signings so far this summer – Craig Dawson and Alphonse Areola
Sunday 1 August 2021 12:53, UK
West Ham remain in talks with Chelsea over defender Kurt Zouma - but a deal currently appears very difficult to complete, with Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenkovic emerging as a more realistic option.
Zouma is West Ham's primary target and it is thought the Frenchman is very open to a move to the London Stadium.
The difficulty lies in the valuation - with Chelsea thought to want in the region of £25m - and Zouma's wages.
If a deal cannot be struck, the 26-year-old is happy to remain at Chelsea where he has a contract that runs until 2023.
West Ham are keeping their options open and have been in talks with Fiorentina over Milenkovic.
The 23-year-old Serbia international, who has been with Fiorentina since 2017, has only one year left on his current contract.
Chelsea have also been exploring using Zouma as part of a deal to sign Sevilla's Jules Kounde.
While not impossible, Zouma's preference is to remain in London. Chelsea are likely to proceed with a deal for Kounde regardless of whether Zouma is included or not.
Sevilla also thought to be interested in German defender Jerome Boateng.
You can follow all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms, as well as keeping track of all the developments on Sky Sports News.
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