West Ham Make Contact With Agent Of £22.5m Rated La Liga Defender

West Ham are one of three Premier League teams who have taken an interest in Real Sociedad defender Diego Llorente, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The Catalan publication reports that Tottenham, Liverpool and the Hammers have all contacted the 25-year-old’s agent recently.

Real Madrid could also enter the race for Llorente as they have a buyback option on the player they sold to Sociedad two years ago.

The centre-back currently has a €50m (£45m) release clause but it is believed that he could be offloaded for just €25m (£22.5m).

West Ham have been considering a bid for a defender this summer, with Alaves’s Guillermo Maripan having been heavily linked.

However, the Chilean’s €25m asking price is said to have put them off, and with Llorente available for the same amount, it’s currently unlikely that they will make a move for the Real Sociedad player either.

The Hammers need to free up funds to finance further signings this summer. Their coffers could be swelled very soon, though, with Pedro Obiang said to be close to an £8m switch to Sassuolo.