According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United are ready to step up their bid to sign Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey after the Magpies completed a loan deal for Chelsea winger Kenedy.

The Sun says the Irons made an enquiry for the 25-year-old earlier in the month, but the Tyneside outfit didn't want to sell because of a lack of strength in the depth in their squad.

However, the addition of Kenedy will go some way to sorting that issue and potentially allowing Shelvey to move on, which will have caught the attention of Hammers boss David Moyes even though a separate report in The Sun on Saturday claimed the player is currently earning £90,000-a-week.

The Scot is desperate to add to his midfield options before the January transfer window slams shut after earmarking it as one of the weak areas of his team, who currently lie just four points above the relegation zone and six points off the bottom of the Premier League table.

Meanwhile, Hannover 96 star Salif Sane, who is rated at £7.2m according to Transfermarkt, has once again been impressing in the Bundesliga and has arguably been his side's standout performer this season, and he could be seen as a potential alternative target to the Newcastle man.

Given how well he the Senegal international has been playing, bringing him to the London Stadium could prove to be a shrewd move.

Here are three reasons West Ham must forget Shelvey and sign Sane instead…

His qualities

According to WhoScored.com, Sane is statistically the joint-second best player in the Bundesliga this season following a string of impressive performances for 10th-placed Hannover.

The 27-year-old has a decent passing accuracy of 82% in 18 Bundesliga appearances this term, while he has won 106 of the 132 aerial duels he has contested, won 33 tackles as well as making 53 interceptions and 138 clearances.

The 6ft 5in defender is great defensively, but he has also shown his ability going forward by making seven key passes and successfully completing six of the seven dribbles he has attempted.

Versatility

While Sane has primarily played as a centre-back for Hannover this season, he is also able to play as a defensive midfielder – as he did on a number of occasions for the Bundesliga outfit last term – because of his ability on the ball.

The 27-year-old's strength and quality in the air would mean that he would provide a huge barrier in front of the West Ham backline if he did join them, while he would be able to slot into the centre of the defence if he was required too as well – something that Shelvey wouldn't be able to do.

Wages

According to The Sun, Shelvey is currently earning £90,000-a-week with Newcastle and he isn't likely to want to take too much of a pay cut if West Ham aren't willing to reach that figure.

Sane will certainly be on a much lower number at Hannover right now and the east London outfit wouldn't have to break the bank to bring him to the London Stadium.

Considering how impressive he has been this season and previously, the Irons should be looking to sign the Senegal international before January 31.

Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.