Torino Could Hijack West Ham Move for Young Defender Frederik Alves

West Ham's interest in promising defender Frederik Alves has been threatened by fresh interest from Serie A outfit Torino.

The 20-year-old made 22 appearances last season for IF Silkeborg as they were relegated from the Danish Superliga, and has been capped for Denmark's Under-21s side on four occasions.

Silkeborg had already previously announced on their website that Alves was due to leave the club in January, with only residence and work permits to be signed off on, although they refused to comment on which club had met the conditions to succesfully sign the centre-back.

It previously looked as if that club was set to be West Ham, with Denmark's BT reporting that the defender had travelled to London's Stratford Hotel with his agent, with the purpose of undergoing a medical at the Premier League club.

BT claimed that the Hammers were close to agreeing a deal in the region of £1.2m, with Alves expected to sign a contract that would keep him at the Olympic Stadium until 2024.

New information from Calciomercato, has, however, complicated these original reports, with a brief but concise update claiming that Torino are ready to challenge the east London club for Alves, and have expressed an interest in the player.

Though Craig Dawson arrived at the club on loan from Watford over the summer, West Ham remain in the market for a new centre-back, with reinforcements and competition needed for Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna and Fabian Balbuena.

According to club insider ExWHUEmployee, however, Alves, who also had a spell at Brazilian side Coritiba, would not be expected to slot straight into the matchday squad, instead joining the club's development side.

As long as they can stave off Torino's interest, Alves would be West Ham's fifth permanent signing of the 2020/21 season, with Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal the most high-profile additions of a busy summer.