West Ham United have been dealt another crushing transfer blow...

What's the word?

The Irons had been linked with a move for Chelsea centre-back Kurt Zouma. Sky Sports reported last week that they held talks over a potential deal and that the Frenchman would even welcome a switch to the London Stadium.

However, that does not appear to be the case anymore as an ever-reliable source provided a devastating update on their pursuit.

According to ExWHUemployee, Zouma has rejected the chance to join the Hammers and at the moment, that move is off. He tweeted:

"He turned us down today. What a few people on a popular forum don’t understand is that things can change almost hourly. It’s off at the moment."

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano then provided some further information, claiming: "West Ham already focusing on other centre backs..."

Another setback

This will come as a major blow to David Moyes, who must be desperate to bolster his playing squad ahead of the new season, which gets underway in just over a week's time.

The Scotsman did the unthinkable last season by transforming the East London outfit from relegation candidates into European contenders and their sixth-place finish has earned them a spot in the Europa League.

That means two matches per week and the potential of a 50-plus game campaign is a real possibility but right now, the Irons do not have the strength in depth to remain competitive across all competitions.

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Leaving their business this late has certainly come back to haunt them, although it's not as if players are very keen to join the London Stadium.

Zouma is merely the latest name to turn down the club.

It's thought that neither of Moyes' top summer targets, Jesse Lingard and Tammy Abraham, want to sign for West Ham, whilst fellow striker target Danny Ings has recently joined Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

Similarly, it seems as if West Brom playmaker Matheus Pereira will join Saudi side Al-Hilal instead.

The Hammers have made just one senior signing, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain, which is among the lowest in the division so far and with kick-off against Newcastle United approaching, this is a massive cause for concern.

Of course, they have the remainder of the month to sign players but as the season begins, it leaves any new addition with little time to adapt and learn Moyes' tactics.

Furthermore, much of the Irons faithful were excited by the prospect of sealing the 26-year-old defender, so this fresh development will not only leave them gutted but perhaps fuming too.

AND in other news, PAI Capital drop exciting claim amid West Ham takeover talks...