West Ham United have now turned their attention towards signing Bayer Leverkusen's Odilon Kossounou, as a potential alternative option to one of their major summer targets, according to a new report.
Who are West Ham signing this summer?
David Moyes is looking to strengthen the spine of his team this summer, following Declan Rice's departure, and Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic could follow Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse through the door in central midfield.
The Hammers could hijack Inter Milan's move for the maestro by offering a "more advantageous package", while Scott McTominay may also become an option, should Lucas Paqueta seal a move to Premier League champions Manchester City.
In terms of new attacking options, Montpellier's Elye Wahi is now emerging as a major target, with the Irons now "concretely positioned" to make a move, and Moyes is also still keen on strengthening his backline.
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According to a report from The Sun, West Ham's move for Harry Maguire is now stalling over personal terms, despite having a £30m bid accepted by Manchester United, and they are now running the rule over potential alternative options.
One such player is Kossounou, with the Hammers now lining up a £30m swoop for the Bayer Leverkusen defender, who sporting director Tim Steidten knows well from his time working for the Bundesliga club.
Leverkusen may also be open to a loan move, if a guaranteed buy option was included in the deal, with the 22-year-old emerging as a viable alternative to Maguire, who is considering whether to fight for his place at Old Trafford.
As it stands, Moyes' side are yet to make a bid for the Ivory Coast international, but that could change if the deal for the Man United defender falls through.
Is Harry Maguire joining West Ham?
The Telegraph have now reported the Irons are confident of wrapping up a deal for the England international, with Erik ten Hag signalling he is happy for his former skipper to leave, if he does not have the confidence to fight for his place.
As such, a move for Kossounou may not be necessary, but there are plenty of indications he could be a solid signing if Moyes decides he wants to bring in more than one centre-back this summer.
Lauded as having a "crazy amount of talent" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the Leverkusen defender is very comfortably driving the ball forward, ranking in the 93rd percentile for progressive carries, and the 84th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 in the past year.
There is still some work to do defensively, with the Ivorian being outperformed by Maguire on a number of key metrics, including aerials won, clearances and blocks per 90, but at the 22-years-old he is still very young, with plenty of room to develop further.
That said, although he has been routinely criticised by fans and the media alike, Maguire is probably the safer option, as he already has plenty of Premier League experience, and Moyes will be hoping to get the deal over the line at some point this week.
