West Ham transfer news: Nikola Maksimovic a target in £20m move from Torino as Chelsea also circle for Serbia international defender
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic keen to bolster his backline and wants 24-year-old who has enraged Torino boss Sinisa Mihajlovic by skipping training in the past week
WEST HAM are on the trail of £20million-rated Torino defender Nikola Maksimovic.
According to reports in Italy, the Hammers have made contact with the Turin club over a move for the wantaway 24-year-old Serbia international - who is also wanted by Chelsea.
Maksimovic has four years left in his current deal but is hoping to force through a move to the Premier League and has skipped training in recent days.
His boss Sinisa Mihajlovic is furious with the player who he handed an international debut to in 2012, describing the player's actions as a betrayal.
Napoli are also vying for Maksimovic's signature and have lined up the six-foot-four-inch centre-back should they lose Kalidou Koulibaly to Chelsea.
But the Hammers could be set to pip both Blues and the Naples club to his signature, with boss Slaven Bilic - who is also keen on Palermo's Achraf Lazaar - able to offer the 12-cap international game time in the Prem.
Mihajlovic believes Maksimovic's head has been turned and admits he wants to leave.
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He said: "I don't know whether Maksimovic is making these mistakes by himself or whether he is just ill-advised, but I don't care either way.
"He will pay the consequences for this behaviour because he has damaged our club.
"He has a short memory - I was the one who launched his international career and just a few weeks ago I spoke to him frankly, from one Serbian to another.
"I guaranteed him an improved contract and favourable conditions in view of a future move.
"I told him that if he stuck with me this year, he would be wanted by the biggest clubs in Europe next year.
"He assured me that he was delighted to stay. I put my head on the line for him and now he just disappears and wants to leave.
"I feel like a betrayed man. For me, they are men before they are footballers, but he has betrayed everybody - the club, his teammates, the fans and the coach.
"Now the ball is in the club's court because Maksimovic has a contract here and he cannot decide his destiny alone.
"If he is to stay then he has to know that he needs to win back everybody's faith twice: first as a man, then as a footballer."
Maksimovic started off his career in Serbia with Sloboda Uzice before making a £200,000 move to Red Star Belgrade.
He joined Torino in 2013 and has made 66 appearances for the club, including 16 last season during an injury-blighted campaign.