West Ham join Sheffield United and Wrexham in race for Leicester City star | OneFootball

The Australia centre-back is attracting plenty of interest this summer.

The summer transfer window has been open for more than a month, but there has been little in the way of arrivals at West Ham.

As expected, much of the noise has been around departures, with Mateus Fernandes leading the way out of the London Stadium after a landmark £85million move to Tottenham.

The Hammers have completed the permanent signing of Keiber Lamadrid from Deportivo La Guaira, but the one that everyone is talking about is Jarrod Bowen revising his contract in East London.

As the Irons aim to make progress in the transfer market, they have now joined a host of Championship sides in the race for one of Leicester City's prized assets.

West Ham eyeing Leicester City's Harry Souttar as Sheffield United, Wrexham and Stoke interested

Action Image

With West Ham's season set to kick off on 16 August against Burnley, there has been some concern among supporters about the lack of incomings at the London Stadium.

With Fernandes gone and several others likely to follow, the Hammers are set to garner substantial fees for their talent, but they will also have plenty of holes to fill within Nuno Espírito Santo's squad.

The Irons were poor defensively last season, and the hub of defence is an area that could do with bolstering ahead of a long Championship campaign.

Now, the East Londoners are keen on Leicester's centre-back Harry Souttar, according to Scottish outlet the Daily Record.

The publication reports that West Ham have the Australia international high on their wanted list as they look to bring in players with Premier League experience.

Furthermore, they add that the Foxes want to offload the 27-year-old, who wants to play at the highest level, with Wrexham, Sheffield United and the player's former club Stoke City also keen.

Would Souttar be a good signing for Hammers?

If Nuno's side are going to compete in the Championship, then they will need a blend of attacking threat and defensive steel, and Souttar certainly falls into the latter.

At 6"6, the 27-year-old is a towering defensive figure, and his physical presence and aerial ability would be a strength, particularly from set-pieces.

Souttar does have Premier League experience, albeit 12 appearances with the Foxes during the 2022/23 season, while he also has just under 100 Championship appearances to his name.

One concern the Hammers should be wary of is his injury record, as over the last four campaigns he has made just 42 appearances after suffering an ACL rupture and an Achilles tendon rupture.

If he can keep himself fit, then the Australian would be a solid addition for any Championship side, but with so many clubs eyeing him, that could drive up his price.

How West Ham fans have reacted to Souttar news

It is fair to say that news of the Hammers' interest in Souttar has divided supporters, but some can see the potential positives.

However, some are clearly not keen on the idea and will take some convincing.