West Ham are desperate to improve their ranks in January as they seek better fortunes in their Premier League campaign, with David Moyes’ side aiming to push themselves away from the relegation battle.
The Scottish manager has already overseen considerable improvements since replacing Slaven Bilic in East London but the general consensus is that the squad at his disposal is not up to scratch, which is likely to lead to wholesale changes.
The Hammers have money in the bank that they’re willing to spend though, and Moyes’ transfer kitty could be raised by January departures, and it’s now being reported that the East London giants are involved in a stern battle for a highly-coveted defender.
Swiss outlet Blick state West Ham are chasing the services of FC Basel defender Manuel Akanji, who has attracted a wealth of interest following his impressive displays for the club- including in the Champions League.
West Ham are not alone with their interest in the 22-year-old, who is also being linked with Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Borussia Dortmund, but so far no club has been prepared to meet his €20m valuation.
Highly regarded as one of the finest talents within Swiss football, Akanji helped FC Basel qualify for the Champions League knock-out stages and will play against Manchester City next month if he does not seal a January transfer.
