West Ham United have joined Aston Villa in showing interest regarding the chance of signing Steven Nzonzi on loan, as reported by The Daily Mail.

What's the story?

Villa have been looking to bring the Frenchman in during the summer, as reported by The Mirror, with FFC suggesting that his presence could be very useful in their midfield.

However, the Hammers are now reportedly in for him, which could make things a lot more difficult for Villa, especially as it is suggested that the 31-year-old would prefer a move to London where he has family.

Roma are open to offers for the World Cup winner, though they are demanding a £3.5m loan fee for the man who is currently on loan at Galatasaray.

In the balance

This development means that Villa's pursuit of the former Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City midfielder could be in the balance.

They do already have Marvelous Nakamba, Douglas Luiz, Conor Hourihane, Henri Lansbury and loanee Danny Drinkwater in the midfield area, but it can be argued that Nzonzi would still be a good addition, as highlighted by his 1.6 tackles per game in the Champions League this season.

With that in mind, it could be frustrating for Villa to miss out on him to a fellow relegation contender.

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Ahead of West Ham's match against Leicester City, Dean Smith's side beating Watford on Tuesday meant that they are now two points above the Hammers, who sit 17th.

Former Villa man Carlos Sanchez has been the main backup option to Declan Rice and Mark Noble, despite having played only 113 minutes of Premier League football this campaign.

Therefore, having Nzonzi come in could be seen as a boost for them, while also meaning that Villa miss out on someone who could be a useful acquisition, making it twice as frustrating.

Meanwhile, one man's Villa exit indicates just how rapidly his career has declined.