West Ham United are close to securing the signature Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Defender wanted

Following the cruciate ligament rupture sustained by defender Angelo Ogbonna early on in the Premier League season, manager David Moyes was left short of options across his backline.

With Kurt Zouma also suffering from a number of injuries, at times it was just Craig Dawson and Issa Diop left as the only senior options available for Moyes’ selection.

After a sensational run in the Europa League, the Irons became visibly fatigued as the season wore on, with the hectic schedule taking its toll on the squad.

With this in mind, it became imperative for the Hammers to dip into the transfer market for a central defender ahead of next season.

The Latest: Aguerd close

According to a recent report by Football Insider, West Ham are now in advanced talks with Rennes to sign Aguerd, with negotiations closing in on a deal worth around £25m.

It is understood that the Premier League outfit are increasingly confident of securing an agreement with the French side for the 26-year-old, who is said to have already begun house-hunting in London as he looks to make the switch early on in the window.

The Verdict: Great signing

With a number of top clubs having monitored the Morocco international over the last two seasons, this will be a great signing for Moyes’ squad, given their desperate need to bring in an experienced defender to the London Stadium.

According to The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke, Aguerd is “the best value left-sided centre back in Europe" and "every club should be after him.”

Averaging 4 clearances and 0.5 blocks per game in Ligue 1 (via WhoScored), it is easy to see why the Moroccan has been on the receiving end of such heavy praise, having been capped by his national team on 19 occasions.

This could be a brilliant signing for West Ham.

In other news: Irons will look into signing Emmanuel Dennis