What West Ham United must be willing to do to land Bastien Meupiyou transfer

West Ham United have been looking into the defender market with Bastien Meupiyou on their shortlist.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side have yet to act in the market as supporters patiently await their first signing of the summer.

The defensive area of the squad is in need of reinforcements, following Axel Disasi's loan expiring and Jean-Clair Todibo refusing to play for Nuno.

Max Kilman has struggled to impress in E20 since his move to East London, leaving only Konstantinos Mavropanos as a centre-back to be confident in.

With the competitive season now not too far away, the Irons will need to act in the market.

And if interest in Alverca defender Meupiyou is still strong, they have learned how they could land a transfer.

How much would Bastien Meupiyou cost West Ham?

West Ham Zone have previously reported that Nuno wants to bring Meupiyou to West Ham.

However, while there was interest in the Alverca man, there was no indication of how much a transfer could end up costing.

Now, reports have emerged about the potential finances involved if the Irons were to push ahead with a deal.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, the Hammers will have to fork out £12.8million to land the French defender.

West Ham are no longer alone in their pursuit, though, with Galatasaray said to be interested in landing the Alverca ace.

Interestingly, the report also shares that Alverca only own 50 per cent of Meupiyou, with his former club, Wolves, retaining the other half, likely in a sell-on clause.

The fellow Championship club would be entitled to a financial windfall for the defender who is said to have "had a breakout season."

West Ham can easily afford Meupiyou transfer but is it good value?

The arrival of Meupiyou would certainly be welcomed by Irons fans following their lack of business so far.

But Meupiyou may cost over double what his current estimated market value is listed as.

According to Transfermarkt, the French defender is worth £6m, meanwhile the CIES Football Observatory have his fair market value lower than that.

His top value is said to be £4.5m (€5.3m).

So, while the Hammers could afford to sanction a fee of £12.8m to sign Meupiyou, particularly after the big-money sales of Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville, they must ask one question.

Is Meupiyou truly the best option on the market for Nuno and one that comes with a reasonable fee?

All should hopefully become clear over the coming weeks as the Hammers begin their push for promotion.