West Ham United are 'progressing' in their bid to lure Club Brugge star Hans Vanaken to the London Stadium, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
Thilo Kehrer became the latest addition to David Moyes' squad when the central defender made the £10.1million switch from Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week, but the Hammers boss appears to have turned his attentions towards strengthening further up the pitch.
GiveMeSport Transfer Update With Dean Jones
What's the latest news involving Vanaken?
According to 90min, West Ham's opening bid of £8.4million fell well short of Club Brugge's Vanaken valuation and was rejected out of hand.
The report suggests the 21-cap Belgium international's current employers are seeking at least double that fee, but the Hammers are hopeful of being able to negotiate a deal worth £12.6million with future add-ons.
It is understood that Moyes is a big fan of Vanaken and, as a result, West Ham will resume talks with Club Brugge as they attempt to find a compromise figure.
The east Londoners have also been boosted in their pursuit of the attacking midfielder as he is interested in swapping his homeland for a maiden spell in the Premier League.
According to the Daily Mail, via West Ham Zone, Club Brugge are set to offer Vanaken a new contract in an attempt to stave off interest ahead of the transfer window's closure.
What has Dean Jones said about Vanaken?
Jones understands that West Ham have had a long-term interest in Vanaken and, due to their need to add midfield reinforcements, they are looking to pounce.
The transfer insider believes the Hammers' hopes of landing the 29-year-old have improved as advancements are being made in talks.
Jones told GIVEMESPORT: "Vanaken, from Brugge, is quite an interesting one.
"I got mixed reports on on it initially, but it does seem one that they are progressing.
"They were in for him a while back, so he must have stayed on their radar since then and come back onto the agenda just due to the circumstances West Ham are in right now, looking for numbers in that area of the field."
Why is Vanaken on West Ham's radar?
West Ham suffered the blow of seeing Jesse Lingard opt to join Nottingham Forest instead of heading back to the London Stadium before the new season got underway, but that highlighted Moyes' wish to strengthen his attacking midfield options.
Vanaken would be an exciting addition as he has scored 145 goals and registered a further 104 assists over the course of his senior club career.
That, along with the fact that he has got into double-digits for the number of times he has found the back of the net for 11 seasons in a row, shows that he is potent in the final third of the pitch.
Vanaken has also enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with Club Brugge, so he would bring a winning mentality to east London.