West Ham boss David Moyes needs additions this summer if the east Londoners are to avoid another relegation battle this season and they could fill a creative void with one mooted transfer target...

What's the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Hammers have held a long-term interest in Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson and he may well be considered for a switch to the London Stadium this summer.

It's claimed that the Ligue 1 outfit want around £25m to let him go with many Premier League teams also keen.

The likes of Wolves, Arsenal, Fulham and Burnley have been linked to the 26-year-old by the report and Marseille could be open to selling him before the end of the transfer window.

Shades of Payet

Typically a number eight in central midfield, Sanson could well be one of the most underrated players across Europe. He has regularly delivered for Marseille, scoring at least five times in each of the last three seasons.

This term, the uncapped Frenchman averaged 2.2 tackles, 1.5 dribbles, 1.4 shots, 1.1 key passes and 0.9 interceptions per appearance, via WhoScored.

It suggests that he'd not only be a wonderful box-to-box addition to the Irons' engine room but also one that's going to help them score more goals, whether that's through bagging them himself or creating.

Sanson has been likened to Ruben Neves in the past and it's easy to see why but perhaps, he has shades of Dimitri Payet too given the pair's past with Marseille.

Marseille teammate Boubacar Kamara believes the French star will "become a very great player," adding that "He is athletic. He is a creator, I sometimes wonder how he manages to think of certain gestures in the field. He has several lungs, he helps us a lot, he sacrifices himself to open up spaces for us" in an interview with La Provence.

If Moyes continues to deploy a 4-2-3-1 of sorts, then the 26-year-old could be the man to fill that number ten void with Declan Rice and Thomas Soucek behind.

Whilst Sanson doesn't possess the magical dribbling ability of Payet, he does bring that much-needed edge in the final third, which is why the West Ham hierarchy should sanction this £25m move.

AND in other news, Hammers set to battle Aston Villa for £270k-per-week...