West Ham United are reportedly making a last-gasp move for 23-year-old Czech Republic midfielder Alex Kral over a possible loan deal.
According to Jason Burt, West Ham United appear to have stepped up their efforts to sign Alex Kral before the summer transfer window slams shut. The deal is 90 percent done, with the Hammers signing the 23-year-old Czech midfielder on an initial loan, with an option to buy him next year.
Alex Kral has come leaps and bounds since joining Spartak Moscow from Slavia Prague in the summer of 2019. A regular feature for the Russian outfit, the 23-year-old has turned out 60 times for the Red and Whites while also chipping in with six assists along the way.
His progress in Russia has also helped Kral become a regular for the Czech national side, having gone on to amass 22 international appearances. At the same time, the youngster has also popped up on the radars of several clubs across Europe, with West Ham United currently hot on his trails.
West Ham have been linked with a number of central midfielders this summer, and for good reason as Mark Noble is in the twilight of his career while Manuel Lanzini’s role has reduced considerably. That has left David Moyes with Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek as the only regular options at his disposal.
With West Ham set to feature in the UEFA Europa League this season, a gruelling schedule is on the horizon for them next month onwards. As a result, having strength in depth is imperative, with the likes of Weston McKennie, Nahitan Nandez and Ellyes Skhiri being linked with the east London outfit.
However, it now looks like Kral has been identified as the priority target for West Ham, who are now pressing ahead with a loan move for the 23-year-old. As per Jason Burt, the Hammers are on the verge of sealing the transfer of the Czech midfielder, with the deal also giving them the option to buy him next summer.
So, after being in a slumber for much of the summer transfer window, West Ham have finally sprung into action, having signed Nikola Vlasic and Kurt Zouma. What now remains to be seen is if West Ham can indeed add Kral to the first-team setup or if Vlasic is their final recruitment this summer.
