West Ham United remain interested in Eddie Nketiah...

What's the word?

That's according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who claims that the Irons are one of many teams monitoring the 22-year-old's situation ahead of a potential summer move.

He suggests that Arsenal have offered their academy graduate a new contract but as of yet, nothing has been agreed. The Gunners are thought to have set his asking price at around £20m in the event that he does not put pen to paper.

The Hammers face competition from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace and Watford, whilst Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen are also mooted with interest.

David Moyes was said to be keen on Nketiah during the January transfer window after the club sanctioned the departure of Sebastian Haller to Ajax.

Shades of Defoe

The £18m-rated forward has found game time hard to come by since his debut in 2017, playing a total of 65 matches, in which he's found the net 13 times, via Transfermarkt.

However, that shouldn't detract from his ability and true potential. After all, he's had the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in front of him in the pecking order.

With the Irons desperate for forward additions, Nketiah could be a perfect candidate to provide Michail Antonio with genuine competition next season, especially as the young attacker has been likened to a former West Ham talisman.

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During an interview with Football Insider, ex-Leeds striker Noel Whelan compared him to Jermain Defoe. He said:

"He reminds me of another Jermaine Defoe and look at how well he did at West Ham. He’s very much that similar sort of player. He plays off the shoulder, very dangerous in the box. He’s a player you can’t take your eye off because his movement’s so good."

It's not the first time that the Gunners starlet has been likened to the Rangers veteran, with him also drawing further comparisons to Danny Welbeck, albeit at a smaller height (5 foot 11).

Nketiah's record at youth level has been second to none, scoring 43 times for Arsenal's U18s and U23s, as well as bagging 16 goals in just 17 caps for the England U21 squad.

Considering the £40m price tag surrounding mooted top target Tammy Abraham, a move for the 22-year-old could make far more sense this summer.

If Moyes opts to push ahead and sign Nketiah, then he could well find West Ham their next Defoe.

AND in other news, Moyes dealt another devastating Irons transfer blow, fans will surely be gutted...