As The Pitch Prospect has learned, West Ham are ahead in the race to sign Arsenal star Reiss Nelson.
Nelson, whose transfer fee is estimated at £25 million, wants to leave Arsenal this summer as he becomes increasingly frustrated with a lack of playing time.
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Crystal Palace, who are looking for a replacement for Michael Olise, who joined Bayern Munich earlier this month, are also interested in the former England U21 international.
The 24-year-old has struggled to get a regular start in Mikel Arteta’s team, but his contract runs until 2027.
West Ham have also agreed a contract with Nice for defender Jean-Clair Todibo.
The deal is a loan with an option to buy worth £27 million, although Todibo is attracting interest from elsewhere.
Juventus are currently the favourites for his signature and he is expected to move to the Serie A giants instead.
However, this has not stopped West Ham from negotiating with Nice and they are working to lure Todibo to London.
Man United had their eye on the defender, but UEFA rules regarding joint ownership between United and Nice hampered any prospect of a deal.
New Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui, who replaced David Moyes this summer, has already recruited three new players.
Max Kilman joined from Wolves for £40 million, while Luis Guilherme joined from Palmeiras for an undisclosed fee and Wes Foderingham signed for free.
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Meanwhile, Nelson progressed through Arsenal’s academy and made his first-team debut in 2017.
He signed a new four-year contract ahead of the start of the 2023/24 season, with Arteta stressing how “important” Nelson is to the team and what “quality” he has.
Last season, however, he only started once in the Premier League, but made a total of 24 appearances in all competitions.
Nelson scored one goal during the season – the winning goal in a 1-0 win over Brentford in the League Cup – and provided three assists.
After the FA Cup clash against Liverpool, he said: “It’s good to come off the bench, but I want to be in the starting line-up.
“I feel like I can prove myself every day in training. I want to continue with this momentum and play more.”
The Pitch Prospect also reported that Brighton were interested in Nelson in March.