West Ham are lining up a swoop for midfielder Florian Grillitsch as David Moyes looks to improve his squad ahead of next season.
What’s the word?
That’s according to Italian news outlet Area Napoli, who claimed that the Hammers are eyeing up a move for the 26-year-old, although Serie A club Napoli appear to be leading the chase.
He will soon become a free agent when his contract expires at Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim, and West Ham could snap up a bargain.
Moyes may be confident that he can fend off the interest from Napoli for the Austrian's signature ahead of next season.
He is the perfect Noble heir
West Ham will be left with a big void to fill next season, as fan favourite Mark Noble has announced that 2021/22 was his final campaign for the Irons.
Moyes will surely be working tirelessly to find an adequate replacement for the 35-year-old ahead of an important campaign at the London Stadium, and Grillitsch might just be the perfect heir.
The 26-year-old ranked fourth in the Hoffenheim squad in 2021/22 with an average WhoScored rating of 6.87, whilst he also won 1.3 aerial duels per 90 minutes during the course of the campaign.
One of his key attributes is his ball distribution, and his passing success rate of 89.4% was the highest in the Bundesliga club's squad by some distance (excluding those who played 40 minutes or less), proving to be a crucial presence in the centre of midfield.
Grillitsch can also be an asset going forward, with the Austrian ranking in the top 1% compared to positional peers in the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (1.99), and in the top 4% for progressive passes (5.05 per 90).
This proposed move is a no-brainer for Moyes as he looks to add some bite into the centre of West Ham's midfield.
Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann previously dubbed the £35k-p/w Grillitsch an “exceptional” player, and his statistics certainly suggest that the Hammers could land an excellent player on a free transfer this summer. Moyes will need to act quick, though.