West Ham United’s ‘interest is genuine’ in Club Brugge attacking midfielder Hans Vanaken, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

The Hammers are expected to make a handful of further additions before the transfer window closes in a couple of weeks following a slow start to the current campaign, with Thilo Kehrer the latest signing this week.

What is the latest news involving Vanaken?

Sky Sports revealed back in 2020 that West Ham had a £13 million bid rejected by Brugge for Vanaken, and it seems as though they have finally revived their interest in him two years later.

The same outlet broke the news that the east London outfit have also had their ‘opening offer’ of the current window turned down but claimed that the Belgium international is eager to make the move.

“Club Brugge have rejected West Ham United’s opening offer for the midfielder Hans Vanaken,” Sky Sports reported live on air. “The bid for this one (is) thought to be in the region of about €10 million (£8.4m).”

“Growing belief that the player wants to play in the Premier League, but we’re just hearing that has been rejected.”

The 29-year-old still has three years remaining on his contract at the Jan Breydel Stadium, and West Ham may have to up their offer considerably if they want to secure his signature.

What has Crook said about Vanaken?

When asked if Vanaken, who stands at 6 foot 5, sounds like a typical David Moyes signing, Crook informed GiveMeSport that ‘he does’ before disclosing that there is still ‘a bit of work to be done’ on the deal.

He said: “Yeah, he does. The interest is genuine. I think their first offer has been turned down, so I think there's a bit of work to be done on that one.

“But yeah, you're right, he’s that sort of athletic type of profile that David Moyes loves. I think they will be, or try to be, one of the busier clubs in the last couple of weeks.”

Would Vanaken be a good signing?

Vanaken has been one of Club Brugge’s top performers in recent years, registering 102 goals and 73 assists in 343 appearances, claiming five league titles and four Belgian Super Cups along the way.

And despite the fact that the towering attacker is set to turn 30 later this month, he showed no signs of slowing down last season.

In all competitions, Vanaken found the back of the net on 15 occasions and set up a further 12 strikes in 50 games, with four of those goal contributions coming in his six Champions League outings.