West Ham United are preparing an audacious summer transfer swoop for Arsenal starlet William Saliba.
What's the story?
After struggling to make any new signings in the January transfer window despite seemingly being willing to splash the cash and break records, Hammers boss David Moyes will know that the summer now takes on even bigger importance when it comes to his project at the London Stadium.
According to French publication Jeunes Footeux, West Ham are prepared to pay around £25m to sign Saliba in the summer as they look to bolster the centre of defence, with Moyes having identified him as his number one target for the position.
Fans will be buzzing
Currently on loan at Marseille, Saliba is yet to make a competitive appearance for Arsenal with the Gunners believing consecutive loan spells away from the club would be best for his development.
Described as someone with "cold blood" for the way he defends so calmly and with intent, the £25m-rated Saliba is the kind of centre-back signing which would likely have West Ham fans raving.
The 6 foot 4 powerhouse has excelled in his time away from Arsenal, proving why he is one of European football's most promising centre-backs - during the 2020/21 season with Nice in Ligue 1, he was dribbled past just once.
His former coach Fabio Frasconi once claimed: "William Saliba will go far, very far. He reminds me of Raphaël Varane".
Meanwhile, Adrian Ursea, his former coach at Nice, added: "You can see he has character and above all, he reassures the others. He’s not vocal, but he’s a leader in his own way.
"To see you a young lad who isn’t even 20 yet playing with such assurance against strikers like Wissam Ben Yedder and Kevin Volland, it really is quite amazing.
"He also gives off a calm air that the team needs. I’m not interested in age. The only question about a rookie is whether he’s a good player or not."
It's clear that Saliba appears to be the absolute perfect centre-back for the Hammers if they can pull a deal off, and Hammers fans would be buzzing with his potential arrival.