Moyes closing in on “remarkable” £9m WHU target, it could be bye-bye "terrible" flop - opinion

West Ham United appear to be the frontrunners to sign Juventus defender Luca Pellegrini, according to reports coming out of Italy.

As per Spazio Juve, the Irons are said to be ‘very close’ to striking a deal for the 23-year-old, with the east Londoners currently in ‘pole position’ despite interest from newly-promoted Serie A outfit Monza.

The report suggests that the left-back – who still has three years left to run on his existing contract in Turin – could be worth in the region of just €10m (£9m), having been something of a bit-part player under Max Allegri last term.

This follows a previous report which suggested the London Stadium outfit were keen on a deal for the one-cap Italy international, albeit with the Serie A giants hoping to exploit that interest by trying to strike an agreement of their own for Jarrod Bowen.

That potential incoming could spell the end for one player’s West Ham career, with fellow full-back Arthur Masuka seemingly the man most likely to give way if Pellegrini is signed, having failed to ever nail down a regular role since his move from Olympiakos six years ago.

Despite often operating in an attacking, wing-back role in David Moyes’ side, the DR Congo international has a fairly dismal record with regards to his attacking output, having registered just two goals and ten assists in 127 appearances in all competitions.

Dubbed “terrible” by West Ham-focused analyst Carl Goodall, the 28-year-old has rarely looked like a player capable of performing on a consistent basis, failing to usurp first-choice pick Aaron Cresswell from his usual starting berth.

There have been suggestions that Moyes may seek to hand the £43k-per-week dud another chance in pre-season, with two years left on his existing deal