West Ham are confident of bolstering their defensive options by completing a deal for the Paris Saint‑Germain centre-back Thilo Kehrer and they are also in talks with Chelsea regarding a £13m deal for the left-back Emerson Palmieri.
David Moyes has been forced to look for additions in defence because of an injury crisis that has left him with Kurt Zouma as his only available centre-back.
With Nayef Aguerd ruled out after ankle surgery, Craig Dawson struggling with a hamstring injury and Angelo Ogbonna still recovering from a long-term knee injury, West Ham have been forced to pair Zouma with the 22-year-old full-back Ben Johnson during their first two games this season.
Zouma’s partnership with Johnson has not been convincing, with West Ham falling to defeats against Manchester City and Nottingham Forest and Moyes has set his sights on Kehrer.