West Ham and Valencia are in a direct two-way battle for the signing of Nikola Maksimovic this summer according to a report from Plaza Deportiva.
Read also: £17m West Ham target becomes history maker at EURO 2020
Hammers boss David Moyes is keen to bolster his centre-back department at the London Stadium this summer Claret and Hugh.
The problem for the Scot, however, is that money is tight in East London.
And with so many positions in urgent need of attention at West Ham, Moyes will have to be thrifty in his player recruitment.
With that in mind, the opportunity to sign an experienced, battle-hardened centre-back will surely appeal to Moyes and the Hammers owners.
West Ham battling Valencia for Nikola Maksimovic
Plaza Deportiva claims that the Hammers are eyeing a swoop for the 29-year-old centre-back.
The East London outfit could face competition from Valencia for the Serbia international’s signature, however.
Maksimovic is a top class defender, and missing out on him to Los Che would be a big blow for West Ham to stomach.
The seasoned veteran is an old school, no-nonsense defender. He is fairly accomplished with the ball at his feet as well.
In 17 Serie A outings last term, Maksimovic averaged 1.1 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 2.6 clearances per game. He also won an average of 2.1 aerial duals per match. The centre-back averages 56.5 passes per game with a supremely impressive completion rate of 92.2% (Who Scored).
Signing Maksimovic for nothing is a deal that West Ham should be all over this summer.
In other news…Report: West Ham target with £51m buy-out now available for just £13m, Moyes must act fast
Bringing the Serb to the London Stadium on a free transfer would then enable Moyes to use his transfer budget on other areas of his squad.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
