OPINION
West Ham United are in the market for midfield reinforcements this summer as Manuel Pellegrini looks to bolster his squad with some quality arrivals.
Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate were the regular duo in central midfield for the Hammers in 2017/18, but you get the impression that Pellegrini will look to beef up his options in that area in the coming weeks.
One midfielder that the Hammers have now been linked to is Juventus star Stefano Sturaro, and the club must pull out all the stops to snap up the Italy international.
As reported by Tuttosport, the Irons are firmly in the running for the 25-year-old enforcer, with Premier League rivals Everton also said to be showing interest.
The Italian newspaper report that a fee of £17.4million would convince the Serie A champions to part with Sturaro, who has been struggling for game time in recent seasons.
In today’s market that is an extremely reasonable price for an international midfielder of Sturaro’s calibre, and the Hammers would do very well to pounce on such an opportunity.
It is also said that Sturaro fancies the challenge of a physical competition like the Premier League, with the 25-year-old well known for his combative capabilities.
It therefore looks like such a move could be a real possibility for the Hammers this summer, not merely a fanciful link appearing in the press.
The club desperately need to add some quality in that area, and Sturaro’s four-year spell at Juventus will undoubtedly help him to bring that with him to the London Stadium.
He looks like he is ready-made for the Premier League, with the Italy international not one to shy away from a physical challenge, and that should help any deal be well worth it for the Irons.
