West Ham United have reportedly lined up a £12m bid for Sheffield United defender John Egan in the January transfer window.
The Hammers were linked with signing the Republic of Ireland international during the summer, but the Blades resisted any interest as they seek to gain promotion back to the Premier League.
The 29-year-old played 67 times for Sheff Utd during their two recent seasons in England's top flight before being relegated at the end of the 2020-21 season, but his side have performed well in the early weeks of this campaign to sit top of the Championship table after eight matches.
Any move for the player from West Ham in January could be complicated given how crucial Egan is to his team's aspirations this season, but the Europa Conference League outfit are set to test the Championship club's resolve by coming up with a big offer when the transfer window reopens, according to The Sun.
David Moyes's current options at centre-back are Kurt Zouma, Angelo Ogbonna, Thilo Kehrer, Craig Dawson and Nayef Aguerd, although the latter suffered a serious ankle not long after moving to east London from Rennes for close to £30m in June, and he is not expected to return until at least November.
With Dawson linked with a move away, Kehrer preferring to play at right-back and Ogbonna only recently returning from a serious injury himself, Moyes may see Egan as a reliable solution to a problem position in recent times.