West Ham United are reportedly firmly at the head of the queue for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler, with the Hammers pushing to secure his signature.
There has been a host of speculation surrounding Soler's future in recent weeks, with West Ham believed to be determined to sign the Spaniard.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Soler's priority is West Ham, and senior figures at the London Stadium are pushing to get the deal done.
Romano claims that a number of other clubs are in the race, but Julen Lopetegui's team are in a strong position to bring him to the London Stadium.
Soler was an unused substitute for PSG's first match of the new campaign on August 16, but he was left out of the squad altogether against Montpellier HSC on Friday.
The 27-year-old has represented PSG on 63 occasions in all competitions since arriving from Valencia in September 2022, scoring eight goals and registering eight assists in the process.
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Villa's Iling-Junior 'heading' for Bologna loan
Meanwhile, Aston Villa attacker Samuel Iling-Junior is closing in on a loan switch to Bologna.
The 20-year-old made the move to Villa from Juventus at the start of July as part of the deal that took Douglas Luiz to Turin.
The forward was expected to play a part for Villa this term, but according to Romano, Iling-Junior is now nearing a loan switch to Bologna.
The transfer expert claims that there will be no buy option, with Unai Emery's side set to welcome him back ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Iling-Junior made 45 first-team appearances for Juventus, including 24 outings in Serie A during the 2023-24 campaign, and he is now set to return to Italy's top flight, with a medical likely to take place on Sunday.
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Watford 'on verge' of signing Ogbonna
Elsewhere, Watford are allegedly on the verge of signing former West Ham United centre-back Angelo Ogbonna on a free transfer.
Ogbonna left West Ham at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, and a number of clubs have been credited with an interest in his services this summer.
However, journalist Andrew French claims that the experienced defender is preparing to make the move to Watford on a free transfer.
Ogbonna made 17 appearances for West Ham last season, while he represented the club on 201 occasions in the Premier League.
The 36-year-old previously played in Italy for Torino, Crotone and Juventus, winning two Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia during his time in Turin.
Matt Law
