Swansea have slapped a £40million valuation on Alfie Mawson amid interest from West Ham, according to the Sun.
The newspaper claim that Hammers boss David Moyes is keen to sign the centre-back, 23, in the January window after following him closely since he was manager of Sunderland.
The Sun report that West Ham were looking to pay only around £20million for the defender, who has been an ever-present for the Swans in the Premier League this season.
It is said that the two clubs have held talks about forward Andre Ayew returning to the Liberty Stadium and he could be used in part-exchange to sweeten the Mawson deal.
But the London club want to recoup the £20million fee they spent on Ghana international Ayew in the summer of 2016.
Good move for West Ham?
Mawson is tough, durable and Swansea’s outstanding player this season. Confident with the ball at his feet and commanding in the air, his positional play and awareness has improved since joining from Barnsley in the summer of 2016. He has the potential to be a major player for David Moyes, who will appreciate that Mawson has been an ever-present for the Swans this season and has the potential to be an equally key player in east London.
This Is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
The market for capable centre-backs has shifted following Virgil van Dijk’s £75million transfer to Liverpool and West Ham are clearly going to have to spend seriously big to land Mawson next month. It will encourage Hammers fans that the expendable Ayew could be used in part-exchange to secure the deal but, in reality, swaps are rare. Given Swansea’s precarious status, it is difficult to see this deal getting done in January without West Ham breaking the bank.
This Is Futbol rating: 5/10