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West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini has focused on bolstering his defensive lines this summer and further additions in this area have been suggested.

The Hammers have been widely linked with the services of Barcelona’s Marlon Santos, who spent last year on-loan with OGC Nice, but reports have reduced since the signing of Issa Diop.

Mundo Deportivo now state that an unnamed Premier League rival could now emerge on the market to fight West Ham for the signature of Santos, who Barcelona are keen on selling to raise funds this summer.

The 22-year-old would cost around £17.5m in the market for West Ham, who have also signed full-back Ryan Fredericks and Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, and it’s unclear whether the Hammers will continue to push for Santos.

A few weeks ago, it was suggested that Santos was on the verge of moving to the London Stadium but the fact that reports have cooled suggest that Pellegrini could eye alternative targets.