West Ham are increasingly likely to land Rav van den Berg in discount January deal

West Ham target Rav van den Berg could be looking to exit FC Koln in January amid the latest on his situation in Germany.

The Hammers had looked into bringing the Dutch defender to London Stadium earlier in the summer window.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side were looking for a replacement for the departed loanee Axel Disasi.

It was not until the end of the window where the Hammers would get a loan deal for Brazilian defender Morato over the line.

Nonetheless, Nuno's side is still fairly light in senior centre-backs, with just three in the squad, alongside young talent such as Ezra Mayers and Airidas Golambeckis.

And if the Portuguese manager wants to bring another in during the January window, van den Berg may be the answer.

Why West Ham could pursue discount deal for Rav van den Berg in January

Van den Berg was a wanted man by a number of European clubs during the summer.

But in the end, he would remain put in the Bundesliga.

Koln were open to a sale for van den Berg, with West Ham learning the price of a deal back in August.

The figures touted were as low as £12.8million or as high as £17m to acquire the services of the defender.

However, following the start to the season, FC Koln may not have much room to negotiate over a price.

In 2026-2027, van den Berg has yet to play for the German side and has been an unused sub in their last two fixtures.

If that remains the case come January when the transfer window reopens, the central defender could be looking for minutes elsewhere.

What Michael Carrick once said about van den Berg

Van den Berg is no stranger to the English game, having built his reputation at Middlesbrough under Michael Carrick.

The now 22-year-old featured 66 times for the Riverside club, and back in 2023 in his early days, he left a significant impression on his manager.

As per Teeside Live, Carrick said in September 2023: "I'm hugely impressed. He's a terrific individual, really grounded and humble, terrific character and great attitude.

"He has a real calming influence but is quite sure of himself in a really good way as well."

So, if the young Dutchman is still a player on the E20 outfit's radar, then that review will certainly be appealing to Nuno.

An attempt to sign should at least be consider, particularly if his game time is still limited in the Bundesliga.