West Ham are leading the race to sign VfB Stuttgart left-back Borna Sosa, according to Croatian publication Index.
David Moyes is eager to bring in cover for Aaron Cresswell before the end of the summer transfer window, especially now that he has allowed Arthur Masuaku to join Besiktas on loan.
Cresswell is now the only recognised left-back in the squad and, at 32 years of age, is considered to be beyond his peak years.
It means Moyes needs to act before the September 1 transfer window deadline if he is to be confident of having enough resource on the left-side of his defence during a long season that could once again include over 50 matches for his squad.
Sosa, 24, has emerged as one player West Ham are keen to sign after the Hammers missed out on top target Filip Kostic, who is on the verge of signing for Juventus.
Since his move from Dinamo Zagreb to the Bundesliga in 2018, the Croatia international has made 83 appearances in all competitions for Stuttgart, scoring three goals and providing an impressive 23 assists in that time.
Such exploits have attracted the attention of a handful of Premier League sides, with Manchester City and Newcastle United also said to be keen on the player’s signature.
But Index claim it is West Ham who are leading the race for Sosa, who is reportedly available for €20m.
It is claimed in the report that the player’s representatives have been in London in the last couple of days to work on finalising a deal to bring him to West Ham, with Stuttgart already searching for his replacement.
Index claim Sosa is “very close” to moving to England and clearly believe it is the Hammers who are going to win the race for his signature, despite the interest from City and Newcastle.
Sosa also has represented Croatia six times, making his debut in September 2021.