West Ham United have joined the race to sign former Borussia Dortmund defender Dan-Axel Zagadou as David Moyes hunts for new centre-back options.

The Lowdown: West Ham eyeing defenders...

The Hammers are going through a centre-back shortage right now as Nayef Aguerd and Angelo Ogbonna both remain sidelined, whilst Craig Dawson has just one year remaining on his contract.

West Ham are also said to be concerned about the fitness history of Kurt Zouma, with doubts surrounding the future of Issa Diop as well.

Reliable reports have therefore claimed that Moyes could well sign a new centre-half before the closure of the summer transfer window, with young right-back Ben Johnson even having to play a makeshift central role in the 2-0 loss to Manchester City at the weekend.

The Latest: West Ham 'looking' to sign Zagadou...

According to reliable journalist Alan Nixon, it is believed that the east Londoners have set their sights on Zagadou after he was released by Borussia Dortmund.

Writing for The Sun, Nixon claims that West Ham are 'looking' to sign the the free agent, who is also being eyed Serie A giants Roma and Inter Milan.

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It's added that Moyes is 'desperate' for defensive additions and sees Zagadou as the 'perfect' squad player, not to mention an ideal potential replacement for Diop.

The Verdict: Make the move?

The 23-year-old, who stands at a towering 6 foot 5, certainly has the physicality to play in the Premier League and has even been called 'excellent' in recent months by his former Dortmund manager Marco Rose.

Rose also highlighted Zagadou as a 'physically strong' defender with 'a lot of speed' but, if the pacey colossus is consistently sidelined - as pointed out by his concerning injury history - Zagadou would hardly be of much use to Moyes.

Indeed, it appears that this move could come with just as many cons as pros.