West Ham plot audacious move for Real Madrid midfielder

West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has made signing Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos a top priority this summer, claims The Daily Mirror.

The Hammers want to bolster their midfield options ahead of the new season to ease the burden on first choice pairing Declan Rice and Mark Noble.

Neither Jack Wilshere nor Samir Nasri have managed to stay fit for prolonged periods this season, while Manuel Lanzini has only just returned after a long-term injury.

Ceballos has endured a miserable time since joining Madrid from Real Betis in a deal worth £14.5m in the summer of 2017.

The Spanish midfielder has only started 16 league games for Madrid over the last two seasons and game time will be even harder to come by next term.

Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane wants to overhaul his current options and is planning summer moves for Premier League pair Paul Pogba and Christian Eriksen.

West Ham believe there is a deal to be done for the 22-year-old, who they believe would cost in the region of £18m.

Madrid have a better win ratio in league matches Ceballos has featured in this season (63.6%) compared to when he has not played at all (50%).