West Ham United are reportedly in advanced talks to sign Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral in a deal worth in excess of £20m.
The defensive midfielder has links to the Hammers through Czech Republic teammates Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal, and he played alongside the duo in club football during their time at Slavia Prague.
West Ham are searching for a long-term replacement for retiring club captain Mark Noble, who has announced that he will hang up his boots at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
Football Insider reports that the East London club's talks with Kral and Spartak are progressing well but a fee has yet to be agreed and also the structure of payments has not been decided upon.
The report suggests that the Hammers are willing to pay more than £20m for Kral, as at the age of 23, he is planned to be part of the West Ham setup for many seasons to come.
Kral joined Spartak Moscow in 2019 and has registered five assists in 53 appearances for the club.
Sammy Wynne
