West Ham are interested in signing Bologna midfielder Jerdy Schouten, according to the Corriere di Bologna (via Sport Witness).

The Dutchman will be on the market this summer and it is believed that the Hammers are currently favourites to secure his signature.

Schouten has been with Bologna for the last four years, having joined from Excelsior in the summer of 2019. He has actually been capped at senior level by the Netherlands, getting his one and only cap in a UEFA Nations League match versus Wales last year.

The 26-year-old had a decent campaign for Bologna, making 36 appearances in all competitions and providing three assists, helping the Serie A club to a ninth-place finish.

Schouten is likely to be on the shortlist of replacements for Declan Rice

The Netherlands international is a holding midfield player by trade so he is clearly being considered by the recruitment team as a potential successor to Rice.

Arsenal have agreed a £105m fee for the Hammers captain, although there are still some negotiations taking place. West Ham want the full amount paid in eighteen months, while the Gunners want to stagger payments over five years.

West Ham are considering plenty of other targets

Schouten is by no means the only midfielder that has been linked with a switch to the London Stadium. In fact, there have been so many that it is hard to keep count.

The latest names added to the list are Juventus’s Denis Zakaria and Ajax’s Edson Alvarez, while the Irons have also been mentioned as potential suitors for the likes of Fulham’s Joao Palhinha, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips and Everton’s Amadou Onana.

You would probably put Schouten well down the list of options compared to some of those players, but a lot could still depend on what new sporting director Tim Steidten decides to do.