West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini has supposedly been handed a £70m transfer budget to improve the Hammers squad and is targeting a move for Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling, reports the Metro.
United are pressing ahead with a move for Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld, but both parties have been locked in negotiations over a possible fee.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is holding out for offers in excess of £55m, even with the Belgian entering the final year of his contract.
If United do eventually land Alderweireld, head coach Jose Mourinho will need to offload a centre-back or two, with Smalling’s time at Old Trafford set to end this summer.
Pellegrini is keen on a new defender and has earmarked the Englishman as a potential new arrival with the Chilean set to splash the cash in the transfer market.
The Hammers boss will work closely with new sporting director Mario Husillos, who he enjoyed a good working relationship with during their time together at Malaga, and the pair have earmarked Smalling as a possible capture.
West Ham are also hoping to wrap up moves for Alfie Mawson and Lukasz Fabianski in the coming weeks as they exploit Swansea’s relegation.
