West Ham in 'advanced talks' to sign Bundesliga striker as manager opens door to deal

West Ham take on Aston Villa away from home in a tough-looking clash this weekend, with things getting no easier for Graham Potter as he bids to turn things around. In the meantime, efforts continue to bring in new players, with the new boss hoping to put his own stamp on his new squad.

Potter has not promised any new signings, but the Hammers appear to be exploring a number of avenues just over a week before the window slams shut. Here we round up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the London Stadium.

Silva talks

West Ham are said to be interested in a deal for RB Leipzig striker Andre Silva. It was tweeted by Transfer News Live that the Hammers are in ‘advanced talks’ to land the 29-year-old Portugal international, and reliable journalist Florian Plettenburg replied with a tick emoji.

Silva has made 53 appearances for Portugal scoring 19 times, while he has 16 goals in 72 league appearances for Leipzig. The versatile forward is not a prolific frontman, but he is an energetic and versatile one. Interestingly, he has played in Portugal, Italy, Germany and Spain during his career so far.

Ferguson boost

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has kept the door open to a possible Evan Ferguson departure amid links between West Ham and the striker. He said on Thursday: "Let's see what happens. In the offensive line there's still some players not at the highest level. Still, some players suffering with small issues.

"Therefore we have to wait. Also Evan is not fit yet (he's recovering from an ankle injury) so we still have some days till the window is closed. Until then we have to figure out what is the situation at the moment, what do we need for the rest of the season and then also what the players want. Then it's about making the decision together."