West Ham are reportedly targetting a move for Cologne midfielder Ellyes Skhiri this summer.
Despite the priority at the London Stadium remaining a striker arrival, signing an additional midfield option to supplement Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and veteran captain Mark Noble also seems to be high on the agenda.
Irons boss David Moyes could turn to the Tunisian 26-year-old as a potential option, albeit with fierce competition from Lyon, Chelsea, Sevilla, Atalanta and Fiorentina.
That’s according to a report from the Daily Express, as cited by Walid Elmechri on Twitter.
Twitter: Ellyes Skhiri est dans le viseur de West Ham
#Mercatohttps://t.co/em9Q5Ygpru (@Walid_Elmechri)
The report claims Cologne are hoping to receive bids of around £20million for the 35-cap ace.
Skhiri played a pivotal role in keeping the west German side in the Bundesliga in 2020/21 – scoring five goals and contributing three assists in 37 league outings.
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Capable of playing in a number of positions, the £9million valued Tunisian is predominantly a defensive midfielder.
After Rice and Soucek proved their quality and longevity last term, Moyes may be reticent to spend big on a player to act as a backup option.
Albeit wholly necessary to strengthen squad options, especially with the additional demands of Europa League football, shelling out £20million for a midfield understudy seems unlikely.
