West Ham are hoping to persuade Aaron Ramsey to leave Aston Villa for the London Stadium, according to reports.

Speaking on The West Ham Way Patreon (quotes via their website), insider ExWHUEmployee said the Hammers are looking to set up a meeting with the player, who is their top transfer target:

“We were told that the player wasn’t keen on a move to West Ham and wanted to stay at his boyhood club; however, it appears that Villa are looking to sell him.”

“So the player may have to accept that he does need to move and with Will Salthouse as his agent, we know he will promote a move to West Ham. He has been made our number one target in midfield, and we plan to meet with the player again in the coming days. ”

How much will Ramsey cost?

Previous reports have suggested that Villa have set an asking price in the region of £30m, but that figure could be negotiated down if the Midlands club are that keen to offload him.

It does seem like a lot hinges on discussions with Ramsey himself. The presence of Salthouse may help (considering his strong connections to David Sullivan), but there is no guarantee that a move will go ahead at this stage.

Are West Ham considering potential alternatives?

Ramsey is an attacking midfielder by trade and the Irons have been linked with several players with similar profiles. Discussions were held with Liverpool about Harvey Elliott but it appears the Reds’ valuation was too high.

Arsenal’s Fabio Vieira has also been mentioned as a potential option, while a bid for Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannous cannot be ruled out either. The Moroccan international is believed to have a release clause worth £22.5m, following the Foxes’ relegation from the Premier League.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that West Ham have tabled a £7m bid for a goalkeeper