West Ham United have made an offer of €21m (£18m) for Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria, and he would be open to a move to the London Stadium, according to reports from Italy.

What's the latest West Ham transfer news?

With Declan Rice inching ever closer to finally completing his move to Arsenal, West Ham are tasked with replacing the midfielder, and they have their eye on several potential options, including Sao Paulo youngster Pablo Maia.

The Hammers hierarchy have scheduled a meeting with the representative of the 21-year-old to discuss a summer move, with his current club likely to sell him this summer, in order to raise some much-needed funds.

Meanwhile, transfer insider Dean Jones has recently confirmed the Irons' interest in Fulham's Joao Palhinha is "definitely real", but he also claims David Moyes may look at bringing in another midfielder, saying:

"West Ham is obviously one that is going to get interesting in the next few days. They're going for Denis Zakaria, looking at a loan with a view to an option to sign him further down the line but they are also looking at Palhinha as a signing that would happen alongside him."

Now, West Ham have made their first move to sign the Juventus midfielder, with Tuttosport reporting they have made a formal bid, which amounts to €21m (£18m) including bonuses. However, that amount is a little below the Italian club's asking price (via Sport Witness).

Juventus are said to be holding out for €25m (£21m) and they do not want to go below that figure, so it seems as though the Hammers' initial offer may be rejected.

There is still work to be done to conclude a deal, with the two clubs needing to discuss whether the move would be a full transfer now or a loan, with either an option or obligation to buy.

In what could be a real boost for the Irons, there may not be much work needing to be done on the player's side, as he has given a "favourable opinion" to the move, due to being "comforted by the idea of a five-year contract".

How good is Denis Zakaria?

The Swiss midfielder spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Chelsea, with writer Bobby Vincent hailing him as "fantastic" despite the Blues' 1-0 loss against Manchester City back in January.

There is some evidence the 26-year-old could be a quality addition for West Ham, given that he ranks in the 89th percentile for clearances per 90 over the past year compared to players in his position in Europe's top five leagues, showcasing his defensive talents, while he is also in the 95th percentile for his pass completion rate.

Those statistics indicate the Juventus ace could be a replacement for Rice, who also specialises in those areas. However, in truth, he is probably not going to hit the heights of the England international.

Zakaria found it very difficult to break into a poor Chelsea side last season, making just seven appearances in the Premier League, and it would probably be wise for West Ham to focus on signing midfielders who are more proven in England.