West Ham are “exploring a deal” for Werder Bremen attacking midfielder Romano Schmid, according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.

The journalist claims that the Hammers are not the only team keen on the Austrian international, with Lille also keeping tabs on his situation.

However, Graham Potter’s side have held formal “talks” about signing Schmid, who would add some much-needed creativity to the midfield.

A deal for Monaco’s Soungoutou Magassa is reportedly close to being wrapped up, but the France international is very much a defensively-minded player.

He has been targeted as a replacement for Edson Alvarez, who has joined Turkish side Fenerbahce on loan. Schmid, on the other hand, would compete with the likes of Lucas Paqueta and Tomas Soucek.

What do fans need to know about Schmid?

The 25-year-old started off his senior career at Sturm Graz before joining Red Bull Salzburg in 2017. After just 18 months, he made the move to Werder Bremen during the January 2019 transfer window.

Schmid has spent the last five and a half seasons with the Bundesliga club, having established himself as a regular starter following a loan spell at Wolfsberger.

Last campaign, the Austrian made 35 appearances in all competitions, scoring 5 goals and contributing 6 assists.

West Ham have made bids for 8 players

It looks like Hammers owner David Sullivan has gone with a scattergun approach for recruitment in the final week of the transfer window.

Reports suggest that up to 8 offers have been tabled for targets in recent days, mostly for midfielders. In addition to Magassa, there have been approaches for the likes of Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney and Nottingham Forest’s Ibrahim Sangare (on loan).

Considering the disastrous start to the season, it is not a complete surprise that attempts are being made to strengthen before the deadline on Monday night.

Read more about the West Ham First Team Squad for 2025/26 here