West Ham are braced for competition from an unnamed Premier League club for the signature of Marlon Santos.
According to Mundo Deportivo, a deal to sell the young defender has slowed down, with a new Premier League side keen.
The Hammers had been expected to sign the player this summer, with a deal worth around £15 million being agreed with the Catalan side.
The defender was halfway through a two-year loan spell with Nice, but the Ligue 1 have confirmed he will not be returning to the club with Barcelona hoping to sell him permanently.
Leicester have previously been credited with an interest in the player, but it remains unclear whether the Foxes are the aforementioned Premier League side.
The Foxes are in the market for a replacement for Aleksandar Dragović, who spent last season on loan at the club from Bayer Leverkusen.
Barcelona have been looking to sell their fringe players this summer in an attempt to raise further transfer funds.
