West Ham United centre-back Kurt Zouma is expected to complete a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, with the Hammers in talks to offload him to an unnamed club in the Middle Eastern country, according to The Times.
The 29-year-old is in the final 12 months of his current contract, and the London Stadium club do not want to lose him for free next summer.
A new deal is not on the cards either given his fitness issues, with Zouma struggling to play more than once a week owing to a knee injury.
The Frenchman featured in 39 games across all competitions last term, but West Ham are now preparing for life without him.
Nayef Aguerd, who was strongly linked with an exit to the Saudi Pro League last summer, could finally be sold this summer, two years after he joined the Hammers in a £30million deal from Rennes.
West Ham will move to sign another centre-back if they lose the Moroccan and Zouma this window.
Max Kilman joined them from Wolverhampton Wanderers early in the summer transfer window, and they have also been linked with veteran German defender Mats Hummels.
The 35-year-old is a free agent after leaving Borussia Dortmund for free this summer, and he could be a solid short-term option for manager Julen Lopetegui.
However, there is stiff competition for the former Bayern Munich star, which could see West Ham miss out on recruiting his services.
The defence is a department the Irons must strengthen ahead of 2024-25 as only the teams that got relegated last term shipped more Premier League goals (74) than them.
West Ham have also signed Luis Guilherme, Wes Foderingham, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Guido Rodriguez this summer apart from Kilman, and one or two signings could arrive before the window shuts as Lopetegui eyes a place in the top-seven in the new season.
