West Ham have been credited with an interest in AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi and the young Frenchman could prove to be David Moyes' own version of Ruben Dias at the London Stadium.

According to the Daily Mail, West Ham are chasing the 24-year-old centre-back this month but face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Any deal for the youngster is likely to be a pricey one for the Hammers, as reports in the summer suggested that PSG would have to pay around €50m (£44m) if they wanted to prise Disasi away from The Stade Louis II.

The centre-back has been in impressive form for Philippe Clement's side so far this season, contributing one goal and three assists in 17 appearances, averaging a super 6.97 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He has also caught the eye in the Europa League, notching one goal and one assist in the group stages to help him to a 7.02 average rating.

For context, Declan Rice is the top performer in Moyes' squad so far this season with a 6.90 average rating, while Kurt Zouma is the top-performing centre-back with a far less impressive 6.65 average rating, which emphasises the quality that Disasi could add if sporting director Mark Noble makes a move.

With the Hammers struggling so much from a defensive perspective this season, with just three clean sheets to their name, it seems clear that defensive reinforcements are required and Disasi could be the ideal man.

According to FBref, the fifth-most similar player to the Monaco star when compared to other centre-backs across Europe's top leagues is Manchester City star, Ruben Dias.

If we compare their stats from the 2021-22 campaign (as Dias has been injured for much of this season), then the two defenders registered very similar numbers with regard to shots per 90 (0.66 vs 0.67), progressive passes (100 vs 104) and interceptions (26 vs 23).

What demonstrates is that first and foremost, the pair are incredibly forward-thinking ball-playing centre-backs. Their first thought, beyond defending, is how they quickly they can get the ball forward. Those numbers also show that they are incredibly similar when it comes to reading the game.

With Dias winning not only the Premier League title but the Premier League player of the year award in his first season with the Citizens, Moyes and Noble would surely be foolish to turn a player such as Disasi down.

Therefore, the Hammers should do all they can to bring Disasi, who was described as "complete and dominant" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, to the London Stadium this month. He could just be their own version of Man City's assertive and classy defender.