West Ham United are interested in Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz ahead of the January transfer window, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Hammers, alongside Fulham, have been named as potential suitors for the Brazilian, who has struggled to settle in at Juventus ever since joining from Aston Villa in the summer.
The 26-year-old has played only 342 minutes of first-team football under Thiago Motta this term and remains low in the pecking order in Turin, despite the Serie A giants splashing out £42m to sign him in June.
Per the report, Juventus are now looking to sell players to fund their pursuit of Feyenoord defender David Hancko in January and may be looking to offload Luiz, along with midfielder Nicolo Fagioli and winger Samuel Mbangula.
While there is no indication of how much Luiz could cost, the two London clubs have been mentioned as those interested in the 'top-class' Brazilian ahead of January.
West Ham were among the Premier League’s top spenders in the summer, investing nearly £100m on nine new signings, including midfielders Carlos Soler and Guido Rodriguez.
However, their summer spree has struggled to yield any positive results as they sit 14th in the league table after 16 games, having won just five times.
The January transfer window could be crucial for West Ham’s hopes of climbing into European qualification spots this season, and they are believed to be looking at reinforcements.
According to GIVEMESPORT sources, the Hammers could be targeting a new forward in January after Michail Antonio’s horror road accident, which is likely to sideline the Jamaica international for at least a year.
With finances tight at the moment, the East London club could dive into the loan market again if no affordable permanent solutions are found, having welcomed the likes of Soler and Jean-Clair Todibo on temporary deals in the summer.
West Ham United technical director Tim Steidten, head coach Julen Lopetegui and co-owner David Sullivan Related
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Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt**. Correct as of 20 -12-24.**