West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Thilo Kehrer to the London Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by the Evening Standard, who claim that, with Issa Diop looking set to secure a £15m move to Fulham in the coming days, David Moyes' side are now pushing ahead with their interest in the Paris Saint-Germain centre-back.

The report goes on to state that, although Conor Coady was the 59-year-old manager's first-choice target in the heart of his defence, with the former Wolverhampton Wanderers captain now having joined Everton, the Scot is focusing solely on Kehrer - who is also believed to be a target of LaLiga side Sevilla.

A further report by the Daily Mail also claims that Rob Newman has made contact with the Ligue 1 outfit regarding a deal for the 25-year-old - with Luis Campos believed to have informed the Premier League side that the Germany international will cost around £17m.

Moyes would love him

With Diop moving onto pastures new and Nayef Aguerd, Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson all currently sidelined due to injury, it is not difficult to understand why Moyes is looking to add a new centre-back to his first-team squad before September's fast-approaching transfer deadline.

And, considering just how talented a defender Kehrer is, coupled with the fact the 25-year-old can operate from anywhere across the backline, as well as in defensive midfield, it is also easy to see why Newman and Moyes have identified the Germany international as their primary target in the position.

Indeed, while it is true that the former FC Schalke 04 starlet is not exactly a bonafide starter at the Parc des Princes, the £19.8m-rated talent has nevertheless impressed over his four full domestic campaigns with the French champions, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.00 in 2018/19, 6.79 in 2019/20, 6.78 in 2020/21 and 6.80 in 2021/22.

Furthermore, the £78k-per-week defender also boasts a wealth of experience in the Champions League, having featured no less than 20 times in Europe's most prestigious club competition - something that would prove incredibly useful in West Ham's inaugural Europa Conference League campaign this season.

Further still, as previously mentioned, the 20-cap international can also operate from left, centre and right-back, as well as in defensive midfield - a trait that the former PSG and current Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel praised back in 2018.

Regarding Kehrer, the German coach told PSGTV: "Thilo is a very committed player, very professional. I like his personality, he already has a certain maturity as he's captain of Germany's U21 side. He's quick, able to play in any of the four positions at the back, is two-footed, and can even play as a defensive midfielder. He's the sort of player any coach would like to have."

As such, should West Ham manage to get a deal over the line for the 25-year-old in the coming days, it would very much appear as if the Hammers will have landed a talented, versatile and - for just £17m - cost-effective replacement for Diop in the heart of their defence, not to mention a player who Moyes would undoubtedly love to have in his squad this season.