West Ham make contact to sign £20m player who Lopetegui thinks is perfect

West Ham United have made their first move to seal a ninth summer signing for Julen Lopetegui, according to a new report.

West Ham’s summer signings

The Hammers have gone into overdrive in recent weeks, sealing five more additions after early window signings Luis Guilherme, Wes Foderingham and Max Kilman. Technical director Tim Steidten isn’t showing any signs of slowing up either, with a new centre-back and central midfielder now on the radar before the August 30 deadline.

Nantes centre-back Nathan Zeze has been linked alongside Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler. Fabrizio Romano has claimed the links to the latter are “true”, telling GiveMeSport:

"That (Soler) is a concrete option for West Ham. It's true, he's one of the names they have on their shortlist. And now, obviously they will also need to assess all the possibilities and consider all the options. They've been fantastic in the summer transfer window. Wan-Bissaka was also a tough one, not an easy deal. They've been able to get it done on player and club side, and it was a complicated negotiation.

"Todibo was a crazy saga. So they've been putting a lot of efforts into bringing in these new players in recent weeks. Now they are considering Carlos Soler, it's true, it's a possibility. I think he could probably be the next one.”

Carlos Soler to West Ham transfer update

Now, a new update has emerged – TEAMtalk have provided the latest on the situation, claiming that West Ham have now made contact with Paris Saint-Germain over a deal for Soler.

They wanted to learn the conditions of a deal, and it is added that PSG are open to selling for around £20m or under. They also report that Soler ‘is open to the transfer and would be keen to try his hand in the Premier League’, while ‘Lopetegui has made it clear to the board that Soler is the perfect fit for his side and would be an addition that helps them achieve their goals of reaching the European qualification places this season’.

This is certainly a boost for West Ham and Lopetegui, with a move for Soler now seemingly one that has legs. Should Soler head to the London Stadium, he would provide Lopetegui with an experienced and versatile option in midfield.

As can be seen, Soler has played in a number of different positions during his career and has also turned out in the Champions League and Europa League in the past.