West Ham United are leading the race to sign Juventus midfielder Stefano Sturaro.
Newcastle United had submitted an offer thought to be in the region of £11.4 million for the 25-year-old, but according to Tuttosport the Hammers have stepped in with a bid of around £17.5m.
Following spells with Genoa and Modena, Sturaro signed for Juventus in July 2014.
The agreement included a clause that he would spend the next season on loan at Genoa, but he was recalled by Juve in February 2015.
He has gone on to make 90 appearances for the Serie A club in all competitions, scoring three goals.
Sturaro has been capped four times by Italy at senior international level.
Capable of playing anywhere in midfield, Sturaro is usually deployed as a central or defensive midfielder in front of the back-line.
He made just 19 appearances for Juve last season and a move away from the club looks highly likely to happen this summer.
West Ham, Newcastle and Leicester City have all been tipped as possible destinations, but the Hammers’ latest bid makes them favourites to secure Sturaro’s services.
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