West Ham United have their eyes on signing Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi, according to transfer expert Dean Jones. 

The Lowdown: West Ham at risk of losing Declan Rice

Earlier this month, it was reported that West Ham expect to lose Declan Rice to a Champions League club during the next summer transfer window.

This comes after previous reports that the midfielder has turned down three offers to sign a new deal at the London Stadium.

With the remainder of the World Cup and the second half of the domestic season to get through before the summer, it seems as though one player has caught the attention of the Hammers, thus opening a conversation about potentially being a replacement for the West Ham captain.

The Latest: Frattesi on West Ham's radar

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones was asked about West Ham's interest in Frattesi, and whether he could be a suitable potential replacement for Rice.

He said: "Frattesi’s someone that’s on their radar, but to be honest, I think they’re looking for someone more established than that to replace Declan Rice.

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"It’s such a big hole that they’re going to need to fill, and they’ve got to convince the fans as well as the players that there’s not going to be a huge drop off when Rice leaves, that’s going to be the big concern."

The Verdict: A smart signing for West Ham

As the only outfield player at Sassuolo to start all 15 of their Serie A games this season, this highlights how important the 23-year-old is for the club.

Across those appearances, Frattesi has racked up the second-highest number of shot-creating actions (39) and successful dribbles (34), as well as the fourth-highest number of progressive passes (41) at the Serie A side.

Then from a defensive point of view, the Italian has the second-highest number of successful tackles (13) at the club, which shows just how useful he can be off the ball as well as on it.

Described as "the next [Nicolo] Barella" by journalist Fabrizio Romano, Frattesi would be a smart signing for West Ham, regardless of whether they end up losing Rice in the summer or not.