Hammers step up midfielder hunt

West Ham have a list of four foreign midfielders they are looking at as they bid to find extra power in that area of the team.

But Manu Pellegrini is unsure about ringing in the Paraguay defender Fabián Balbuena from Brazilian outfit Corinthians.

The player was recommended to Mario Husillos by a South American agent and is believed to be available at around £7 million but the new manager hasn’t made a final decision on the 26-year-old.

Instead, he is concentrating on midfielders among which Sporting Lisbon’s Bruno Fernandes features. With only Mark Noble, Cheik Kouyate and Pedro Obiang available, the manager and director of football are moving quickly to tie up Jack Wilshere’s arrival which it is hoped will be announced after the weekend.

The lack of pace, guile and general quality in that area of the team was glaringly obvious last season and is absolutely key in the manager’s thinking although Michail Antonio’s imminent return will ease the problems.

And with great reports coming back from Switzerland on Declan Rice the possibility of moving him forward is also on the cards.

However, we have learned that the manager believes he needs another midfielder to add some much-needed competition to that area of the squad and are stepping up their efforts to get one in within the next couple of weeks.