West Ham are expected to reignite their interest in River Plate right-back Gonzalo Montiel this summer, as they look to upgrade from their battery of average options.
Embroiled in a bitter relegation battle, the Hammers are far from secure in regard to their Premier League status, but that hasn't stopped them from listing transfer targets for the coming months.
Montiel has been a key member of River Plate's squad, featuring in 18 of the league leaders' 22 Superliga fixtures. In this period, Los Millonarios have only conceded 17 goals.
The Argentine defender was of interest to the east London outfit in January but no agreement was reached as a loan bid of £400,000 with an option to buy for £8.3m was turned down by River Plate.
TNT Sports report that West Ham will return with another bid in the summer as manager David Moyes looks to bolster his defensive options ahead of next season.
A further report from Argentine publication El Intransigente claims that Montiel has a £13.1m release clause, which could rise to £17.1m with add-ons.
There is some belief that Montiel's potential could be unlocked with the help of veteran defender Pablo Zabaleta - a fellow Argentine - if he is offered a contract extension by the Hammers at the end of the current season.
Montiel has proved himself to be a danger on the attack as well as in defence, as an abundance of pace and power has caused all sorts of problems for his Superliga opponents. These qualities effectively fit the mould of the modern Premier League defender.
Source :
90min
