West Ham target Lazar Samardzic as possible replacement for Lucas Paqueta

West Ham could make a move for Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic if they sell Lucas Paqueta to Manchester City, amid interest from several Italian clubs, according to Gazzetta Dello Sport.

The Italian newspaper reported in its print edition [14 August, pg 12] that West Ham might step up their interest in a deal that could be worth £17.2million, with interest from Inter Milan most advanced as the player wants to move to the Nerrazzuri, while Juventus could also make a move.

It is reported that Inter have become frustrated with the player's new agency L1OS Sports as they have entered the negotiations at a difficult time - perhaps a part of the reason behind the West Ham speculation.

Starting to explore options

As Manchester City's interest in signing Paqueta continues, with the Premier League Champions seemingly determined to get a deal done for the Brazilian despite West Ham's reluctance to sell, it is the right time for the Hammers to assess potential replacements.

While it appears the link to Samardzic may be agent talk, it remains possible that West Ham's interest has emerged after speaking to the new agency, who made their client's availability known to the Premier League side who have recently received plenty of transfer funds.

The 21-year-old midfielder scored five goals and bagged four assists for Udinese last season, and is capable of playing in several different roles in the team, much like Paqueta is at the London Stadium.

In the Hammers' opening day clash v Bournemouth, Paqueta was deployed in a deeper role alongside Thomas Soucek, which Samardzic would also be capable of doing if required, having played 41 games as a deeper midfielder, and 61 in a more advanced role across his Serie A career [Transfermarkt].

In other West Ham news, a Premier League club could hijack the move for Harry Maguire after new development.