Aston Villa are in pole position to loan Southampton defender Jan Bednarek, 90min understands, after West Ham United cooled their interest.
The 26-year-old had been nearing a move to London Stadium after Craig Dawson expressed a desire to leave West Ham in order to reduce the commute from his Manchester home.
The Hammers are set to sanction Dawson’s exit, with Wolves looking his most likely destination, and Bednarek was one of many targets lined up to replace the 32-year-old – who starred in West Ham’s run to last season’s Europa League semi-finals.
However, Villa have been interested in signing Bednarek for a number of weeks, and sources have told 90min that West Ham have now backed away from a move to sign the Poland international.
That’s opened the door for Villa boss Steven Gerrard to swoop in, as he looks to fill the void left by losing Diego Carlos to a long-term Achilles injury.
Southampton are expected to replace Bednarek with Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car, and it’s understood that he is already in England finalising his move to St Mary’s.
As for West Ham, they have other targets they are working on, with the club intent on replacing Dawson before the transfer window slams shut at 11pm.
