90min

West Ham Eye Late Loan Move for Cagliari Midfielder Nahitan Nandez

By Grey Whitebloom

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​West Ham United have reportedly approached Italian side Cagliari to loan the Uruguayan midfielder Nahitan Nández with an obligation to buy for £34m. 

The Hammers currently sit above the relegation zone separated from Bournemouth by goal difference alone and are in desperate need of some athleticism in midfield. Nández joined Cagliari in the summer for £16.2m but the Serie A side could let him go this month should they stand to double their money.

The Italian publication ​Tuttomercatoweb reports that the London club have approached Cagliari with the intention of loaning Nández with an obligation to buy the Uruguayan midfielder for a total amount of €40m (£34m) in the summer. 

The ​Serie A outfit are thought to be considering the offer but should Nández remain in Sardinia, they have prepared a new and improved contract for the Uruguayan, including a release clause of €40m coming into effect next June. 

Nández has proven to be an invaluable player for sixth-placed Cagliari so far this season, with his only absence from a league match enforced after he'd accumulated five yellow cards.  

The Uruguayan may only be 24 years of age but he has already made 31 appearances for his national team, including every game the South American's played at the 2018 World Cup.

Nández has been fielded on the right-hand side of midfield but he's primarily been deployed in a more central role for Cagliari this season - a position in which ​West Ham could do with some fresh faces.

Declan Rice and Mark Noble have often found themselves in a double pivot under previous manager Manuel Pellegrini and the current incumbent David Moyes this term. But the two Englishman have often looked exposed, left to patrol the centre of the park on their own.

The boundless energy Nández has at his disposal means he could provide something missing from West Ham's current roster. But with the January transfer window closing this week, the Hammers will have to act fast to avoid close this deal and avoid the drop.