Manuel Pellegrini could be closing in on his first signing as West Ham manager, with the Hammers reportedly in talks to sign Genoa defender Armando Izzo.

26-year-old Izzo made 16 appearances for Genoa in Serie A last season, helping the Italian outfit finish in 12th place in the table.

The Italian defender began his career with Napoli and joined Genoa in 2014 from Serie B side Avellino, making almost 100 appearances for the club since then.

West Ham are keen on bolstering their defence this summer according to reports, having released fan favourite James Collins last week after eleven years with the club, alongside experienced full-back Patrice Evra.

With Collins and Evra departing, Pellegrini could be gearing up to overhaul his defence this summer, with the Hammers reportedly interested in Barcelona centre-back Marlon Santos as well.

22-year-old Brazilian defender Santos spent last season on loan with Nice, where he made 27 appearances in all competitions, helping the French side secure a top-half finish in Ligue 1.

West Ham could face competition for the centre-back’s signature from Nice, who are understood to be keen on signing the young defender permanently this summer after his impressive campaign with the club last season.

Santos is a graduate from Fluminense’s academy and after spending time on loan with Barcelona’s B team, he was snapped up by the La Liga giants in 2016.

However, the Brazilian has made just three appearances for Barcelona since then, and he was allowed to join Nice on a two-year loan deal last summer.