West Ham United are monitoring a seriously ambitious move for one of the rising stars to emerge out of this summer’s European Championship.
The Hammers have seen Julen Lopetegui get to work quickly following his appointment at the London Stadium when it comes to transfers.
West Ham have already seen two new signings come through the doors but the new manager has eyes on making further improvements across the squad.
Wes Foderingham has been brought in to provide backup between the sticks and Luis Guilherme has been added to bolster the options out on the wing.
And the Irons are now looking to make what would be a real statement signing after what he has been doing at Euro 2024.
West Ham eyeing ambitious summer swoop for Euro 2024 star
One position which has emerged as a clear area Lopetegui wants to improve is at the back.
Despite finishing in ninth position, West Ham had the fourth-worst defensive record last season under David Moyes.
The Irons conceded a whopping 74 goals last season which was only four fewer than relegated Burnley and 11 less than Luton Town.
Interest was believed to be there in Wolves’ Max Kilman, but it has now been claimed West Ham have changed their mind due to the high valuation on the centre-back.
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According to The Guardian, West Ham are monitoring a potential summer move for the Italy centre-back Riccardo Calafiori.
Playing in Serie A with Bologna, Calafiori is a man in demand with the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur also showing a real interest.
The defender is someone who has really impressed at this summer’s European Championships having earned big praise from one of his teammates.
“He is very talented, and I am convinced the alchemy is on the right track,“ centre-back Alessandro Bastoni told the media.
What Riccardo Calafiori previously said about joining West Ham
Calafiori only joined Bologna last summer but has caught the attention of many over the last campaign.
And he has spoken about a potential move to the Premier League in the past during his time with the Italian giants AS Roma.
“I have two images: returning to Italy, perhaps to Roma, or my dream would be to play in the Premier League. I really like West Ham or Chelsea,” Calafiori told the media back in 2022 when asked where he wants to be in five years time.
Calafiori’s stock has risen over the last two years considerably so it would be interesting to see whether he would still be keen on a move to the Hammers.