According to a report by Belgian news outlet Voetbal Belgie, it appears West Ham United have a new name on their radar in colossal Club Brugge defender Jack Hendry.

The Lowdown: Newman era commences...

West Ham recently announced the appointment of new recruitment head chief Rob Newman as the former Manchester City chief becomes tasked with playing a heavy role in the Irons' transfer strategy.

He played a role in bringing the likes of Aymeric Laporte to Eastlands among a plethora of promising youngsters like Pablo Maffeo, Brahim Diaz and Angelino during his time there (The Athletic).

David Moyes has personally expressed his desire to not only sign capable first team stars, but also bring in players who come with plenty of potential and sell-on value.

Newman comes in to assist the Scotsman in both regards and now Voetbal Belgie bring news of a brand new name on his target list.

The Latest: West Ham eyeing Hendry...

Amid his fantastic run of form in Belgium, the Irons have become one of the Premier League sides interested in Hendry and are now tracking his performances - according to VB.

It is believed that the Scotland international, as well as Newman's West Ham, is also being followed by the likes of Aston Villa and Brighton.

The 26-year-old penned a four-year deal in Brugges in late August, signing there from KV Oostende just two months after he sealed a permanent move to the 1A Pro League minnows from Celtic.

The Verdict: Ogbonna replacement?

Since leaving Glasgow for the continent, Hendry has come on leaps and bounds - putting in some big performances on the biggest stages in Europe.

Making his Champions League debut for Brugge earlier this season, the 11-cap ace 'kept Lionel Messi quiet' on a night where he coped very well with the Argentine and fellow Paris-Saint Germain superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as his side fought to a 1-1 draw (The Daily Mail).

At international level, he's helped the Tartan Army along to being 'within a whisker' of the 2022 World Cup play-offs and a qualifying win against Moldova later this month would seal it.

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse, lauded as a 'natural leader' and 'one of the best defenders' in Belgium last season by Oostende boss Alexander Blessin (Daily Record), could also come as a ready-made replacement for Angelo Ogbonna.

West Ham's centre-half is out of contract at the end of this season and at 33-years-old it could be time to start thinking about who could fill his boots in future campaigns.

Hendry certainly fits the bill going by his numbers over 2021/2022 compared to the Italian.

According to WhoScored, the ex-Hoops man has averaged more tackles, interceptions and aerial duels won per 90 over his league outings for Brugge when compared to Ogbonna at the London Stadium.

Valued at around £4.5 million by Transfermarkt, a figure in and around this amount could point to a bargain deal for Newman and the Hammers.

In other news: 'Woohoo', 'Going for the title'...ExWHUemployee's transfer claim has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.