West Ham line up first Nuno signing as dominant Serie A star on January radar

West Ham United could look to complete a solid January transfer swoop for an experienced Serie A midfielder as a first signing for new boss Nuno Espirito Santo, although they will have to reportedly rival the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle for his signature.

The Portuguese boss swiftly replaced Graham Potter in the managerial hotseat on Saturday morning and will be in the dugout for his first game in charge on Monday evening when the Hammers head to Everton’s new stadium.

However, he takes charge of a West Ham side who have lost four of their five games in the Premier League so far this season and sit in the bottom three as it stands.

And while the Hammers face a few months before they can get any recruits on board, there has already been speculation over who Nuno could bring in as his first signing at The London Stadium.

Well, according to CaughtOffside, West Ham are willing to splash the cash to try and win the race for Juventus and Italy star Manuel Locatelli.

The report states that Locatelli will be one high-profile name who is ‘worth watching out for this winter’, who Juve could sell for the right price.

The Hammers are said to be ‘closely monitoring’ the 27-year-old who has been linked with a switch to England before and could cost in the region of €40million (£34m).

Adding a quality new midfielder certainly makes sense for a West Ham side who have struggled in the middle of the park so far this term.

Guido Rodriguez has struggled to make an impact at the club since his arrival in the summer of 2024, while James Ward-Prowse hasn’t made anything like the impact he did during his best days at Southampton.

Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa both need time to assert themselves, while experienced stars Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta need to do more for a side languishing at the bottom end of the table.

In terms of where Locatelli fits in, the Italy international is a deep-lying presence who would allow the likes Fernandes and Paqueta to have an impact further forward.

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Locatelli path to the Premier League

Locatelli came through AC Milan’s youth ranks, making 63 appearances for the Rossoneri before joining Sassuolo.

Some outstanding performances there saw him eventually switch to Juventus in 2021, where he has since racked up 188 appearances for the club.

With 32 Italy caps to his name as well, Locatelli would offer tremendous experience to a struggling side, although Nuno will certainly be hoping to turn things around by the time the January window rolls around.

The main issue when it comes to trying to strike a deal for the player is the interest from two clubs currently playing in Europe, Chelsea and Newcastle.

Neither club appears desperately short on midfield options a the current time, but that has not stopped the Blues building up a large pool of players, while Eddie Howe’s side have fears over Saudi clubs moving for one of the star men Joelinton in January.

Either way, West Ham will have some convincing to do if they are to persuade Locatelli to move to East London.

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