West Ham will be seeking major improvements this summer as they look to turn a corner after two difficult seasons at the London Stadium, including this year’s campaign that has seen them flirt with relegation.
David Moyes was keen to bolster his midfield contingent in January but struggled to get deals over the line, eventually settling on Joao Mario and signing him on-loan from Inter Milan, but the Portuguese ace doesn’t appear to be seen as the ideal long-term addition.
Instead, Italian outlet TuttoSport claim the Hammers are one of four Premier League clubs eyeing a move for Benfica midfielder Bryan Cristante, who has excelled on-loan with Atalanta this season by scoring ten goals.
Atalanta are set to land the 23-year-old permanently this summer, for just €4m, but may immediately seek to cash-in, with West Ham keen along with Watford, Liverpool and Arsenal, whilst Inter Milan and Juventus provide continental competition.
A bidding war could see Cristante’s services cost as much as €30m, which may price West Ham out of a deal as it would surpass the club-record fee spent to bring Marko Arnautovic in from Stoke City last summer.
