West Ham United manager David Moyes is confident that his club will be able to tie up a deal for Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma this summer.
The Blues are hopeful of selling Zouma in order to free up space in Thomas Tuchel's squad for further transfer activity.
And West Ham, who have made a flying start to the 2021-22 Premier League season, are in pole position to clinch his signature.
What was said?
"Zouma's arrival? [It's] getting close," Moyes told reporters on Saturday following his side's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, which kept the Hammers at the Premier League summit at least until Liverpool and Chelsea finish their afternoon clash.
"We do need a couple more in because we have a lot of games coming up. We have a good team and I like the players we have got."
West Ham twice threw away the lead against their London rivals to miss the chance to extend their 100 per cent start, and Moyes admitted it was a lost opportunity.
"The players are disappointed in the dressing room but that tells you the standards we have set ourselves," he added.
"We just didn't play to the standards we have reached in recent weeks.
"We scored another couple of goals and played really well at times in the first half. We have been good defensively but I was disappointed with the goals we conceded today."
The bigger picture
Zouma has been at Stamford Bridge since joining as a teenager in 2014 from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne.
But, despite forming part of the squad which lifted the Champions League last season, Chelsea are now keen to off-load the defender in order to make room for Sevilla ace Jules Kounde.
Earlier in the week Zouma underwent a medical in Paris ahead of his Hammers move, with the parties still ironing out personal terms before the move can be finalised.
He has represented Chelsea 151 times in all competitions, scoring 10 goals.
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