West Ham are exploring a deal to sign midfielder Tomas Soucek from Slavia Prague, football.london understands.
The 24-year-old midfielder is valued at around €25m by his club but the Hammers have been told they could get him for half that if a deal can be struck. They are confident they can agree an initial loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the campaign but nothing has been agreed yet.
Soucek has scored ten goals so far this season, eight in the Fortuna Liga, for Prague and plays effectively as a number six or eight in the midfield so could slot in alongside Declan Rice.
Soucek has picked up 25 caps for his country
West Ham are desperate for a new midfielder this window and have been linked with a host of them so far as they bid to battle against the drop. A move for Genk midfielder Sander Berge is unlikely, football.london understands.
The club also holds interest in Franck Kessie of AC Milan and Joe Allen of Stoke City but the latter would be a last resort.
With just a week of the transfer window remaining, the Hammers need to get a move on if they want to bolster the squad having only signed Darren Randolph so far this window as a backup goalkeeper from Middlesbrough for £4m.
The club is currently struggling to attract players, with football.london understanding that two players this summer have rejected the club's advances as they don't want to be involved in a relegation battle.
Another move has also fallen through with the selling club wanting a permanent option included in a loan deal even if the Hammers were relegatedat the end of the season.
