West Ham are in the hunt to sign Alaves centre-back Guillermo Maripan, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper claims that Manuel Pellegirni is a fan of the 24-year-old Chile international, who has been likened to Barcelona defender Gerard Pique due to his ball-playing style.
Unfortunately for the Hammers, it is understood that Roma are in pole position for Maripan’s signature at this stage having held talks about potentially signing the 6ft 4 colossus in the summer.
Good move for West Ham?
Alaves may not be the biggest of clubs in Spain, but they have been impressive in La Liga this season as they currently sit fifth and could qualify for European competition.
Maripan has played a major role in their surprise season, appearing 24 goals and scoring two goals in the process.
Alaves have kept clean sheets against the likes of Real Madrid, Real Betis, Athletic Bilbao and Real Socieded with Maripan in the heart of their defence this term and while he is nowhere near Pique’s level, he could be a very good signing for West Ham.
This is Futbol rating 8/10
Likely to happen?
At the moment, it seems like Roma are leading the race for Maripan’s signature, but there is still a lot of time to go before the summer transfer window opens and a lot can change before then.
Pellegrini has not shied away from signing South American players at the London Stadium and that influence could lure a player like Maripan to snub Roma and head for the Premier League.
Hammers fans should definitely keep an eye on this one, but it might be quite easy to link the club to a Chilean player just because of Pellegrini.
This is Futbol rating 3/10