The Mirror reported on September 12th that West Ham United are keen to revive their interest in Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho in January, having missed out on a deal for the Portugal international during the summer transfer window.

That is despite a complete breakdown between the two clubs, with Sporting threatening to report the east London outfit to FIFA for an alleged illegal approach for the 25-year-old.

That situation could make potential negotiations between the two difficult in future and even though the report adds that Hammers boss Slaven Bilic wants to partner the Euro 2016 winner with Cheikhou Kouyate in the middle of the park, he may have to look elsewhere if he wants to bring in a defensive midfielder - something that appears somewhat crucial amid a poor start to the season from captain Mark Noble.

With that in mind, here are three Carvalho alternatives West Ham should consider targeting in January…

Danilo Pereira

The Mirror reported last month that the FC Porto midfielder was seen as a possible alternative for Carvalho if a deal failed to materialise, and it would be no surprise if he was one of the Irons’ top targets in January should a move for the 25-year-old prove to be impossible.

Like Carvalho, Danilo is tall, strong and a full Portugal international, and he would bring a presence and add real quality to the West Ham midfield.

The 26-year-old won 96 aerial duels and made 63 interceptions in 28 Liga NOS appearances last season, while he showed he can be dangerous going forward too by scoring four goals.

Decent on the ball and an impressive tackler, signing him would be a real statement of intent from the east London outfit.

Christoph Kramer

Not many people will remember that Kramer started the 2014 World Cup final for Germany after Sami Khedira suffered an injury just before kick-off, and even less people will recall that he was substituted off during the first half following a clash of heads with Argentina’s Ezequiel Garay.

Nevertheless, it showed how highly the midfielder was rated at the time and he has gone on to become a key player for Borussia Monchengladbach in the middle of the park.

The 26-year-old showed the qualities that he brings to the defensive midfield position by winning 55 aerial duels and making 59 interceptions in 24 Bundesliga appearances last term.

The German has also shown the quality he has on the ball this season and he had a passing accuracy of 92% from the opening five league games, with 75% of his 195 passes being forward ones.

Steven N'Zonzi

You may not have thought it would happen when N’Zonzi left Stoke City to join Sevilla in 2015, but he has gone on to establish himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe during his time with the La Liga outfit.

While that may suggest that he might be out of the reach of West Ham, that might not necessarily be the case with the pull of the Premier League and the fact he could be tempted by a lucrative financial offer.

The 28-year-old was a key part of the team that beat Liverpool in the 2016 Europa League final, and he showed his strengths in 35 La Liga appearances last term.

The tall midfielder won 98 headed duels and made 48 clearances and 37 interceptions, but he also demonstrated his qualities on the ball with a passing accuracy of 90%.

Those stats alone suggest that he would be a great alternative to Carvalho and a top addition to the West Ham midfield, but it may take some persuasion to convince him to return to England.

Would you like any of these three, West Ham fans? Let us know below.