West Ham now lead race to sign £25m Euro 2024 defender behind Max Kilman

West Ham United are thought to be leading the race to sign another defender after the Max Kilman deal.

West Ham are looking for more players in a busy summer

The Irons are already working in the transfer window ahead of Julen Lopetegui's first season in charge at the London Stadium, bringing in three new additions with a month to go until the first game of the 2024/25 campaign.

After young signing Luis Guilherme and experienced goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, defender Kilman has also signed for the Irons, joining in a £40m deal.

A former player Lopetegui has worked with, Kilman has expressed his delight at signing for West Ham, saying on the club's website: “It's an amazing feeling to be a West Ham United player.

“As soon as I noticed the Club's interest, it was an opportunity I was willing to pursue, so I couldn't be happier to be here. I really enjoyed working with Julen when he was at Wolves – he is a great coach and I learned a lot from him, and I am confident that I will continue to develop as a player under his management here.

“West Ham is a great club and I feel that this is the next natural step in my career. Playing in front of passionate fans, with 62,500 fans packed into the London Stadium every other week, is something I'm really excited about.”

Now, the club appear to be eyeing further additions ahead of the opening game against Aston Villa, with Villa Park striker Jhon Duran a strong target in attack.

Behind Kilman, however, more defenders appear to be wanted, as Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten have been linked with players such as Ryan Sessegnon, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Tottenham, Jayden Oosterwolde of Fenerbahce, Luca Pellegrini of Lazio and Al-Ettifaq. defender Jack Hendry.

Now, a new defensive target has emerged, with the player most recently being talked about for Euro 2024.

West Ham are leading the race to transfer Josip Sutalo

According to Caught Offside, West Ham are interested in signing Ajax defender Josip Sutalo and are leading the race for the Croatian player ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham due to recent collaborations with the Dutch giants following deals for Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus.

The report claims that Ajax are valuing the midfielder at a price of €30m (£25m), while the Hammers are expected to make an initial offer of around €23m (£19.3m).

Sutalo only joined Ajax from Dinamo Zagreb last summer and made 32 appearances in all competitions in his first season with the club. His displays led to a call-up to Croatia's Euro 2024 squad, where he played every minute of Group B action in the heart of defence.

A move to England could follow for the 24-year-old, and who knows, West Ham fans could see a new partnership between Kilman and Sutalo, should a move happen in the coming weeks.