West Ham are open to selling defender Nayef Aguerd this month, if David Moyes can secure a replacement before the transfer window closes.
Aguerd remains part of Moyes’s first-choice centre-back pairing alongside Kurt Zouma, but the club are ready to do business should a substantial offer arrive amid reported interest from Saudi Arabia and Italy.
The Hammers paid £28million to sign the Moroccan from French club Rennes in the summer of 2022, only for an ankle injury picked up in pre-season to rule him out of the first half of his debut campaign.
He returned in time to excel for his country during their shock run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar and then played a key part in West Ham’s Europa Conference League triumph, but there is concern that the 27-year-old has not kicked on in his second season in English football following a number of significant errors this term.
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Aguerd, who is currently away with Morocco ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, was the subject of interest from Saudi clubs last summer, while AC Milan are also known to be admirers.
However, it is thought the Serie A club would prefer a loan deal this month, with West Ham only entertaining a permanent sale as they look to boost their own transfer budget.
The Hammers were already in the market for centre-back cover as concerns grow over Zouma’s fitness record. The Frenchman has missed recent meetings with Arsenal and Brighton because of a knee injury, though second-choice pair Konstantinos Mavropanos and Angelo Ogbonna combined to keep clean sheets in both games and look set to start again when Bristol City visit in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.
West Ham have long-standing interest in Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall and Peterborough youngster Ronnie Edwards, who is a target for Crystal Palace, but sanctioning Aguerd’s departure would require a more senior addition.
Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah remains a leading target, but the German club are reluctant to sell this month as they sit top of the Bundesliga under Xabi Alonso. A move for England international Eric Dier, who is out of favour at Tottenham, has been ruled out.
The club pushed hard to sign Harry Maguire last summer and there was hope at the time that a deal could be revisited in January, but the Englishman had regained his place in the Manchester United side before being sidelined by a groin injury last month.
