West Ham have joined Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest in the race to sign Mathias Olivera.
Napoli rejected an approach from Forest in January, but they have remained in talks over a summer move.
Even though the left-back has been a key player for Antonio Conte’s side recently, they are open to selling him.
The Hammers have now complicated matters by giving Olivera another Premier League club to consider.
What is the WEIRDEST West Ham transfer you can remember? 😵💫
Surely Faubert to Real Madrid is up there…
West Ham want Napoli left-back Mathias Olivera
Olivera was reportedly keen to join Notts Forest when they showed an interest in signing him over the winter.
He even handed in a transfer request at Napoli, as he had been in and out of Antonio Conte’s team in the months prior.
However, Olivera has since become an integral part of Napoli’s starting line-up in the Serie A title race.
He has shown his versatility by playing on the right side of a back three, when he would usually play as a left wing-back.
Still, Napoli would be willing to let him leave this summer if a lucrative offer arrived from the Premier League or elsewhere.
According to Il Mattino, via Sport Witness, West Ham have rivalled Forest, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla in pursuit of the 28-year-old.
As summer signing Kyle Walker-Peters has done, Olivera would provide great strength in depth to the Hammers’ backline.
With Champions League and international experience, it is no surprise that West Ham are “big fans” of the defender.
It may not be a flashy transfer that excites supporters, but Olivera would be a shrewd addition for the Hammers.
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