West Ham are the latest Premier League club to register their interest in signing AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw, according to reports in the Italian media.

The German international has found starting opportunities hard to come by this season and the expectation is that he will seek to leave the Rossoneri this summer.

Tuttosport (via MilanReports.com) claim that the Hammers are considering Thiaw as a potential option as they look to reinforce the middle of defence.

Head coach Graham Potter has just three senior centre-halves in the first-team squad and that number could be reduced further with there being doubts about the future of Konstantinos Mavropanos as well.

Thiaw has been on the radar of other Premier League clubs

The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a switch to Newcastle last year, while the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest have been suggested as potential suitors in recent weeks too, with a €30m (£26m) price tag being mentioned.

A move back to Germany cannot be completely ruled out either. Both Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen are also reportedly keeping tabs on Thiaw’s situation.

West Ham have looked at several other centre-backs

Improving the backline will be one of the top priorities for Potter and his head of recruitment, Kyle Macaulay, during the summer transfer window.

In addition to Thiaw, two other players currently plying their trade in Serie A are said to be potential targets: Genoa’s Felix De Winter and AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori.

Closer to home, the Irons are attempting to snap up Burnley’s CJ Egan-Riley on a free transfer. The defender has played an important role in helping the Clarets secure promotion back to the Premier League but his contract at Turf Moor expires at the end of next month.

Click here to see West Ham’s first team squad for the 2024/25 season