West Ham United are reportedly closing in on the permanent signing of Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola for an £11m fee.
The 29-year-old struggled for regular Premier League starts over Lukasz Fabianski last term but was a key figure in West Ham's run to the Europa League semi-finals during his loan spell.
Areola only made one Premier League appearance for the Hammers but started 11 continental matches, keeping five clean sheets before David Moyes's side went down to Eintracht Frankfurt.
According to Sky Sports News, West Ham are poised to trigger an £11m option-to-buy clause in Areola's contract after agreeing personal terms with the France international.
An announcement of Areola's signing could come as early as Monday, and West Ham have supposedly fended off interest from Newcastle United to secure his signature.
Areola prepares to leave PSG after spending 16 years with the French champions, and he is not the only Ligue 1 defensive player potentially set for a Premier League move.
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Strasbourg paid just £1.35m to prise Gerzino Nyamsi away from Rennes in the summer of 2021, and the centre-back's first season at the Stade de la Meinau was a hugely successful one.
Julien Stephan's side were challenging for an unlikely European place with the ever-present Nyamsi in defence but ultimately missed out on a continental spot after finishing in sixth place.
However, Nyamsi started 33 games in that run and provided two assists, which has led to interest from Newcastle United and Leeds United, according to Goal.
Leeds are supposedly at the head of the queue for the 25-year-old, who is under contract with Les Coureurs until the summer of 2025 and is also reported to have attracted the attention of Napoli.
Meanwhile, one centre-back could be preparing to leave a Premier League club on a temporary basis, as Everton reportedly consider a loan move elsewhere for Jarrad Branthwaite.
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The 20-year-old's opportunities in the Premier League were limited last term, with Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey, Michael Keane and Mason Holgate all above him in the defensive pecking order.
Branthwaite made just six appearances in the 2021-22 top flight - scoring one goal and receiving one red card - and totalled just 387 minutes of league football.
According to the Daily Mail, the Toffees are therefore planning to send Branthwaite on loan to a non-Premier League club for 2022-23, and the centre-back is not short of offers.
As many as six Championship clubs in Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town, Blackpool, Cardiff and Sunderland are said to be interested, while PSV Eindhoven and Schalke have also been keeping a keen eye on Branthwaite.
The England Under-20 international was previously sent out on loan to Blackburn Rovers for the second half of the 2020-21 season and is under contract at Goodison Park until 2025 with the option of a further year.
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Over at Old Trafford, meanwhile, Manchester United have seemingly been handed a boost in their efforts to bring Hoffenheim left-back David Raum to the club this summer.
The 24-year-old was a standout performer for the Bundesliga side last term, registering three goals and 13 assists in 32 league outings after joining from Greuther Furth on a free transfer.
Man United have supposedly been alerted to Raum's performances, and Hoffenheim sporting director Alexander Rosen recently stopped short of ruling out an exit for the Germany international.
Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Rosen said: "I would prefer to keep him. At the end of the day, it depends on what the market looks like and what chance the player has.
"If a top club comes and he gets the opportunity, then, of course, we will sit down with him. In the end, it's always about an exchange based on trust."
Raum was handed a mid-season contract extension amid his strong start to life in the Bundesliga and is not due to become a free agent until the summer of 2026.
Ben Knapton
