West Ham United could be "a perfect fit" for Manchester City defender Nathan Ake ahead of the transfer window reopening next month, according to former England international Carlton Palmer.

Ake's playing time for the reigning Premier League champions has been limited this season, with him only being named in Pep Guardiola's starting line-up sporadically.

What's the latest news involving Ake and West Ham?

It has been reported that West Ham are considering lodging a loan bid for Ake in a bid to boost their defensive options.

The Hammers have suffered a heavy blow as Kurt Zouma is expected to be out of action for a number of months after scans revealed the Frenchman suffered hamstring tendon damage during West Ham's 3-2 victory over Chelsea last weekend.

Fellow defender Ben Johnson also sustained a hamstring problem during the Premier League clash and is set for a spell on the sidelines.

Zouma, who is West Ham's highest paid player after penning a £120,000-per-week contract upon his £29.8million move from Chelsea, is not the Hammers' only long-term centre-back absentee.

Angelo Ogbonna suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the victory over Liverpool last month and Irons boss David Moyes has since confirmed the Italian will miss the remainder of the season.

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What has Carlton Palmer said about Ake?

Palmer believes heading to the London Stadium could be the best possible option for Ake after struggling for regular game-time at Manchester City.

The former Premier League midfielder reckons the injection of cash at West Ham, thanks to Czech investment group 1890s holdings a.s - led by Daniel Kretinsky - clinching a 27 per cent stake in the club, makes the possibility of a switch to east London more feasible.

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Palmer exclusively told GIVEMESPORT: "West Ham could be a perfect fit for him.

"Obviously, with the investment that's come in with the guy that's gone into West Ham, he has injected some money into the club. I think they could go for Ake."

Why are West Ham interested in Ake?

The long-term injuries to Zouma and Ogbonna has resulted in West Ham being left with just two senior central defenders in the form of Craig Dawson and Issa Diop.

Ake offers plenty of Premier League experience, having made more than 160 appearances in the competition.

The 26-year-old, who has won 23 caps for the Netherlands, is certainly highly-rated as Manchester City had to fork out £41million to prise him away from Bournemouth last year.

He has also previously earned praise from Virgil van Dijk, with his international team-mate describing Ake as "fantastic".

West Ham have impressed since the season got underway and Ake is used to winning plenty of games, having clinched the Premier League title three times in his career.

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