West Ham Target Daniele Rugani & Dennis Hadzikadunic to Solve Centre Back Issues
By Ali Rampling
West Ham are continuing their search for a new centre back and have turned their attentions to Juventus' Daniele Rugani and Dennis Hadzikadunic of FC Rostov.
The Hammers have been pursuing Burnley's James Tarkowski all transfer window, and have already seen three bids rejected for the 27-year-old.
Their third offer was reported to be in the region of £31m, but the Clarets are said to be holding out for £50m for the centre half.
According to Italian news outlet CalcioMercato, West Ham have now submitted a bid for Juventus centre back Rugani.
The report states that Juventus need to sell players in order to raise funds for further additions to Andrea Pirlo's side, and they are currently evaluating West Ham's offer.
However, the Hammers face competition from Premier League rivals Newcastle, who have also made an offer for the Italy international.
Rugani currently finds himself out of favour at Juventus. He was an unused substitute during his side's 3-0 win over Sampdoria on the opening weekend of Serie A action, and is behind Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt in the pecking order.
Additionally, Swedish news outlet Aftonbladet report that West Ham are eying up 22-year-old Rostov defender Hadzikadunic, who could be available for just £6m.
The defender left Malmo in his native Sweden for Russian outfit Rostov in 2018, establishing himself as a first team regular at the beginning of the 2020/21 season. He has since attracted interest from a selection of sides across Europe.
However, Hadzikadunic is unlikely to be a short term solution to the Hammers' current central defensive shortages. The report states that although the Hammers have been keeping an eye on the centre back, they are unlikely to make an offer for him during this transfer window - potentially due to his current lack of top level experience.