West Ham are among the clubs vying for Real Sociedad defender Diego Llorente, according to reports in the Spanish media.
Mundo Deportivo claims that the Hammers, alongside Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham, are interested in Llorente.
Sevilla and Bundesliga clubs are also in the hunt for the Real Sociedad centre-back, who has a release clause of €50m (more than £42m).
Who is Diego Llorente?
Llorente is a central defender who came through the ranks at Real Madrid, playing a few times for the Spanish giants before permanently moving to Real Sociedad.
The 25-year-old has been in fine form this season with 17 tackles, 17 interceptions, 24 blocks and a staggering 67 clearances in 16 league games (Who Scored).
With 48 aerial duels won and 751 passes completed, Llorente has demonstrated his ability to be both a ball-playing centre-back and an aerial powerhouse.
The twice capped Spain international could return to Real Madrid for €25m due to a buy-back clause but other clubs might need to meet his release clause to convince Real Sociedad to sell.
West Ham’s centre-back situation
West Ham could be in the hunt for a new centre-back this summer to address the leaky defence, which has been evident with five goals conceded in the last two matches against lesser teams.
Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena formed a successful partnership early in the season and Angelo Ogbonna provides cover for those two.
Winston Reid has been out all season with injury and Reece Oxford’s situation is unclear, which could pave the way for Llorente to join.
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