£17m West Ham target has been likened to David Silva and loves Pablo Fornals

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West Ham United are looking to give new manager Julen Lopetegui all the tools he needs to hit the ground running at the London Stadium.

The Hammers have been one of the busier Premier League sides with regards to transfer activity this summer.

Not only have West Ham already signed three players, but a fourth is currently undergoing his medical and talks are going on over several more targets.

The Hammers are closing in on the signing of Crysencio Summerville. They are also in pursuit of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Niclas Fullkrug.

Although these are the most concrete transfer leads, there are others doing the rounds which involve some pretty exciting players.

For instance, one report from France claims that the Hammers have set their sights on a £17million midfielder who has been likened to David Silva.

READ MORE: Daniel Kretinsky could play key role amid new twist in £41m West Ham controversy

West Ham testing the waters for Carlos Soler

The player in question is Paris Saint-Germain’s Carlos Soler and, according to L’Equipe, West Ham has been deemed a potential destination for him.

The report claims the Hammers have been “testing the waters” for the 27-year-old, alongside Brighton.

Aston Villa are also mentioned as prior suitors, though they’ve since brought in a number of midfielders and probably don’t need him any more.

Soler made a name for himself at La Liga side Valencia, earning himself a £17million move to the French capital in 2022.

However, the Spain international hasn’t managed to cement a place in PSG’s starting XI and, as such, his future at the Parc des Princes is in doubt.

Carlos Soler deemed ‘spectacular’ amid West Ham links

In terms of his style of play, Soler has been compared to iconic Spanish trio David Silva, Santi Cazorla and Juan Mata, as per The Guardian.

Soler, speaking to the newspaper in 2022, played down those comparisons and deemed them a compliment.

He also mentioned West Ham cult hero Pablo Fornals as a player he admired in the Premier League.

“You’re putting me alongside Cazorla or Juan and David? Nah,” he said.

“Look, it’s a compliment. They’re players with that ‘pause’ that maybe the Premier League didn’t have.

“It’s all so mad, so physical, that if you can adapt to the intensity and then make the right decision, find the right space, that gives you something.

“Football is ever more physical but the player that ‘arrives’, that filters the final pass can adapt well: like Pablo Fornals, say.”

Former Valencia youth coach Ruben Mora previously told the official club website: “Technically, he was already a very talented player with a spectacular shot.

“He is very competitive and decisive in nearly every contribution.

“We changed his position because there was an injury to one of our players (Javi Pérez de Lucía) and we saw that Carlos was good at getting into the area, running in from the second line, and shooting.

“Out of 40 passes he attempted, 39 would be good. He understood the game and we saw him as a ‘Rubén Baraja’ in central midfield. It worked out well.”