West Ham United have made a loan proposal for AS Roma defender Anass Salah-Eddine as they look to strengthen their squad before the transfer window closes, according to The Athletic.
The 24-year-old Morocco international is being considered as a replacement for El Hadji Malick Diouf, who joined Brentford last week in a €40m transfer.
Salah-Eddine could therefore continue his career in the Championship, with West Ham attempting to bring him to London after their relegation from the top flight. The club have approached AS Roma about a temporary deal, although no agreement has yet been confirmed.
Salah-Eddine spent last season on loan at PSV Eindhoven, who were interested in keeping him for a longer period. However, the Dutch club were unable to reach an agreement to extend his stay.
The defender was also linked with a move to Olympiacos last month. AS Roma were reported to have reached an agreement with the Greek club, but Salah-Eddine was not believed to have shown any interest in the proposed transfer.
That left the player’s future unresolved, with West Ham now emerging as a possible destination before the end of the transfer window. The Hammers are seeking cover following the departure of Diouf, whose move to Brentford was completed for a substantial fee of €40m.
Salah-Eddine remains under contract with AS Roma until the middle of 2028. The Italian club signed him from FC Twente around 18 months ago for a fee of more than €8m.
His loan at PSV Eindhoven was the latest step in his career after arriving in Italy, but he did not remain in the Netherlands permanently. PSV’s wish to retain him was not matched by an agreement with AS Roma, allowing other clubs to investigate his availability.
West Ham’s reported approach gives Salah-Eddine another option as he considers his next move. The club hope to complete the signing before the transfer window closes, while the player’s existing contract in Italy means any deal would initially be expected to take the form of a loan.
For now, the proposed move remains at the stage of an approach. The Athletic reported on Tuesday that West Ham had submitted their loan request to AS Roma, while earlier reports of a switch to Olympiacos had failed to result in a transfer after Salah-Eddine showed no interest in that opportunity.