West Ham United’s reported pursuit of Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria indicates they’re now shopping at the ‘top end’ of the transfer market, according to journalist Peter O’Rourke.

The Hammers have enjoyed an incredible 18 months under manager David Moyes, with a large amount of their recent success down to several astute purchases over the last few windows.

What has West Ham’s recent transfer business looked like?

Since Moyes returned to the London Stadium back in December 2019, the capital club have seen their fortunes dramatically transformed both on and off the pitch.

After the Scottish tactician initially settled the ship, he set about transforming the first-team squad, sanctioning the exits of underperforming big-money arrivals and replacing them with multiple value-for-money signings.

The likes of Tomas Soucek, Craig Dawson and Vladimir Coufal all featured prominently as West Ham recorded a sixth-place finish in the Premier League last term and elevated the east London outfit to new heights.

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With Moyes’ charges now sitting pretty in the upper echelons of the top-flight once again, while also having a Europa League last-16 tie to look forward to, they’re being linked with moves for more potential gems. 

And one player who could join Moyes’ revolution is Zakaria. The maestro valued at £24.3m by Transfermarkt is attracting the attention of several English heavyweights as he approaches the final six months of his current contract, including West Ham.

O’Rourke believes the links are an indication of where the Irons are shopping right now, with Kurt Zouma having arrived from European champions Chelsea over the summer.

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What has O’Rourke said about the interest in Zakaria?

The transfer expert claims that West Ham’s plans to go toe-to-toe with fellow big-name admirers like Juventus and Liverpool shows they’re now able to compete for top talents in the transfer market.

Reacting to the Zakaria link, O'Rourke told GiveMeSport: “I definitely think it shows that West Ham are shopping at the top end of the transfer market right now.”

Would Zakaria be a good signing?

After arriving at Borussia-Park from Young Boys back in 2017, the Switzerland international has established himself as one of the dominant engine room operators in the Bundesliga in recent years.

In 144 appearances for Gladbach, Zakaria has scored 11 goals and provided eight assists, and his overall displays have drawn comparisons with Zinedine Zidane and Toni Kroos. 

As per the Bundesliga's official website, German legend Lothar Matthaus said: "I'm glad that Gladbach have found another pearl. At his age I was earning my first stripes for Borussia. He reminds me of Toni Kroos at that age."

The £51,000-per-week gem would therefore offer a talented alternative to both Soucek and Declan Rice in the middle of the park, with Mark Noble set to retire at the end of the current campaign.