West Ham United have now expressed their interest in signing FC Midtjylland midfielder Emiliano Martinez, but they may have to battle Wolverhampton Wanderers for his signature, according to a report from Football Insider.
What's the latest West Ham transfer news?
West Ham have recently stepped up their interest in signing James Ward-Prowse, and they planned to use Flynn Downes in negotiations for the Southampton midfielder, though the Saints have made it clear they are not interested in a deal of that nature.
Southampton have indicated they will only sell their captain in a straight cash deal, and they value him at £40m, but the Hammers believe he is only worth £25m, so it appears as though a lot of negotiating will be needed to get a deal over the line.
Ward-Prowse is not the Irons' only central midfield target, with Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka also on the radar, However, the German has no desire to leave the Allianz Arena this summer, despite Thomas Tuchel being willing to sell him.
David Moyes is working on as many as five signings in order to strengthen his squad ahead of the return to the Europa League next season, with Ajax's Edson Alvarez and Juventus' Denis Zakaria also under consideration.
According to a report from Football Insider, Martinez is also emerging as a target for West Ham, and they are now plotting a move for the FC Midtjylland midfielder, who has earned rave reviews since moving to the Danish club in January.
There may be competition for the 23-year-old's signature, however, as Wolves have also expressed their interest, following his breakthrough in international football.
The Uruguayan recently earned his first call-up to the national side, having impressed Marcelo Bielsa, and the new Uruguay boss sees him becoming a mainstay in the team going forward.
How good is Emiliano Martinez?
The Midtjylland star's international call-up has been branded a success by the Uruguayan media, despite it being considered "madness" for Bielsa to initially include him in the squad.
In the same report, Nacional midfielder Joaquin Trasante describes the Uruguay international as "huge", as he has recently undergone a noticeable physical change by increasing his muscle mass.
Upon arrival in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola expressed his shock at the physicality on show, so it is important that Martinez has recently worked on his physical attributes, as it means he may not take as much time to adapt to English football.
With West Ham returning to the Europa League next season, it could be important to sign players with experience at that level of football, and the former Red Bull Bragantino man put in some quality performances in the competition last season.
The £6.3k-per-week maestro averaged a match rating of 6.96 in the Europa League, the fourth-highest figure in the squad, weighing in with one goal and an average of three tackles per game, the second-highest amount.
It would be a risk to sign Martinez, as he is unproven in a major league, but he is showing very promising signs, and he could be a shrewd acquisition for West Ham.
