West Ham, Sunderland and Man United in transfer hunt for £12m-rated Leicester City star | OneFootball

The 22-year-old centre-back is attracting interest from England and overseas.

West Ham appear to be stepping up their pursuit of central defenders as they aim to strengthen their side ahead of the Championship season.

The Hammers' poor backline was one of the main reasons they were relegated from the Premier League, with the club conceding the third-highest number of goals last term.

It has been a relatively quiet transfer window for the Irons so far, and supporters are growing increasingly concerned about the lack of incomings.

West Ham have already been linked with Leicester City centre-back Harry Souttar, but it seems they are also interested in one of his teammates.

West Ham, Sunderland and Man United keen on Leicester City's Ben Nelson

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Many of the Hammers' senior centre-backs failed to impress last season, and therefore it is unsurprising that the club have been linked with several players in that position.

Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo endured underwhelming campaigns, with the latter expected to depart this summer; that leaves just Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos as reputable options.

While the club would probably like to bring Axel Disasi back from Chelsea, he is surely destined for top-flight football as West Ham cast their eye across the EFL.

Now, the East London club are eyeing Leicester's Ben Nelson, while Sunderland, Man United and Serie A side Torino are also interested, according to ExWHUEmployee - via the Sunderland Echo.

Nelson has one year remaining on his contract, and ExWHUEmployee reports that the Foxes value the defender between £10 million and £12 million.

Who is Ben Nelson? The Leicester City defender who is wanted by West Ham and Man United

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On the surface of it, West Ham supporters may look at their club's interest in Nelson and think, "why are we targeting a player who has been relegated to League One?"

Yes, the defender was part of a Foxes side that endured a torrid campaign, but given his age and links to Premier League clubs, there is clearly something about him.

The Northampton-born man came through the ranks at Leicester and spent time on loan with Rochdale, Doncaster Rovers and Oxford United, gaining valuable experience before becoming a regular starter at the King Power Stadium.

Nelson made his first Championship appearance of last term in early November and made 24 league appearances as the Foxes finished in 23rd.

The centre-back featured once for Scotland's under-16s but has since switched allegiances and now has 17 caps to his name across various youth levels for England.

He is a modern ball-playing defender and is comfortable in possession, while he has good acceleration, passing range and reading of the game.

Not only does he have Championship experience, but West Ham would be signing a player with a high ceiling and his future ahead of him, if they can agree a fee with Leicester for his services, and also if they can fend off the competition.