West Ham have scouts watching Rennes attacking midfielder Albert Gronbaek, according to the Daily Mail.

The English tabloid claims that the Hammers have been keeping close tabs on the Denmark international’s progress.

Gronbaek only moved from Bodo/Glimt to Ligue One in the summer but he is a player who many believe could go far in the game.

He is a set-piece specialist, and some in Denmark hope he can succeed Christian Eriksen as the country’s main playmaker.

The Manchester United player is getting on in years at 32, and Gronbaek has impressed since making his international debut in a Nations League fixture against Switzerland last month.

In just his second cap, the midfielder got off the mark, scoring the opener during a 2-0 win over Serbia. He also featured against Spain and Switzerland during the last international break.

West Ham could be eyeing a replacement for Paqueta

Gronbaek can play as a no.10 or on the left wing, which are the two main positions that Lucas Paqueta usually starts for the Hammers.

With the Brazilian under investigation for betting infringements, it is more than likely that the recruitment team have been tasked with finding potential replacements if the West Ham star is banned.

Gronbaek won’t be available on the cheap

As mentioned, the 23-year-old only made the switch to Rennes at the start of this season. The French side reportedly paid €15m to secure his signature.

The Irons do have a good relationship with Rennes, having signed Nayef Aguerd from them in 2022, but you’d expect that Gronbaek will now cost a lot more than he did back in July.

For now, it appears scouts have been given a watching brief, with a bid unlikely to be in the works anytime soon, but it is a transfer to keep an eye on.

Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here