West Ham have been handed a massive boost in their quest to land one transfer target this week...

What's the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester City are ready to sell several fringe starts, including defensive midfielder Yangel Herrera, in a bid to raise funds to sign England duo Harry Kane and Jack Grealish.

It's claimed that the Irons are one of several teams eyeing a move for the 23-year-old this summer and it is thought that he could command a fee in the region of £20m.

David Moyes will have to battle Premier League rivals Southampton and Crystal Palace for him, whilst La Liga giants Atletico Madrid and Villarreal are among the foreign suitors after he enjoyed an impressive two-year loan spell in the Spanish top-flight at Granada.

Imagine him and Lingard

The Hammers boss could kickstart a mighty fine summer by securing Herrera alongside a big-name and desired signing like Jesse Lingard.

He's a player that Moyes is absolutely desperate to keep hold of but one midfield addition may not be enough to see the East Londoners remain competitive next season, in what is likely to be a 50-plus game campaign thanks to their Europa League qualification.

Of course, the Scot already has Tomas Soucek and vice-captain Declan Rice at his disposal but with Mark Noble set to retire next year, it wouldn't hurt to find a solid back-up now and that's what Herrera would be.

The 6-foot powerhouse has been one of Granada's star performers this season, recording an average WhoScored rating of 6.79, which was the highest of anyone who started 20 or more league games.

[snack-amp-story url= "https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-more" title= "Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!"]

Capped 21 times by Venezuela at senior level, Herrera is a perfect mix of tenacity and aggression in midfield, as seen by his average of 1.8 tackles and 2.2 fouls in La Liga during the 2020/21 campaign, via WhoScored.

This has also been echoed those that have watched him closely, too.

Back in 2019, Venezuelan football expert and journalist Carlos Ponte waxed lyrical about his qualities to talkSPORT, where he claimed:

"At New York City FC his coach was Patrick Vieira, and he took Andrea Pirlo’s place in the team, so he must have learned something. In MLS he solidified his position as a very complete central midfielder."

Indeed, his defensive ability have been supplemented with one shot and 0.7 dribbles per league game, whilst an 84.6% passing accuracy in against Barcelona's midfield highlights a tremendous touch on the ball.

"In Venezuela, we’ve never had as complete a footballer Yangel - elegant in possession, tall, very physically imposing, good at bringing the ball out, good in the air, the right mentality, and a good head on his shoulders," added Ponte.

"He has a lot of energy and stamina, is great at providing cover and a true team player. He’s good at bringing the ball out with a certain degree of elegance."

For just £20m, the Irons would be crazy to not consider a player of this calibre, especially one that made it to the Europa League semi-finals recently. That experience could prove vital next term.

He, along with Lingard, would be a dream start to the summer. Add a striker, and then Moyes will surely be laughing.

AND in other news, West Ham must avoid cheap Lingard alternative in £9m-rated former PL flop...