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Rangers defender Connor Goldson is reportedly a player of growing interest to West Ham amid claims he has snubbed the offer of a new contract.

The 6ft 3in defender has proved a cornerstone of the success the Gers have enjoyed under Steven Gerrard. Operating at the heart of defence, Goldson has made 171 appearances since arriving from Brighton in summer 2018.

But that four-year deal he signed upon joining Rangers is due to expire next summer. And efforts to pin him down to an extension have so far been met with resistance by the player and his agent.

As such, Football Insider claims Goldson is a ‘player of interest’ for West Ham boss David Moyes.

Despite spending £25m to sign Kurt Zouma this summer, the Hammers are still on the lookout for more defensive cover.

That’s because first-choice defensive duo Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson will be 34 and 32 by the end of the season. The pair have started all four of the Hammers’ Premier League matches this season. 

But Moyes knows time is not on their side and will look to replace them over time.

And with Goldson potentially available on a free transfer, Moyes is reportedly serious considering a move.

Rangers reportedly rejected summer interest in Goldson given his importance to Gerrard’s side.

But unless he can be persuaded to sign new terms, he looks likely to leave Ibrox next summer.

Moyes, meanwhile, looks set to freshen up his defence in Thursday’s Europa League clash against Dinamo Zagreb. That will likely see the Irons pair Zouma with Issa Diop against the Croatians.

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Moyes fires warning to West Ham

With the Hammers back in Europe for the first time since 2006-07, they face a tough opener against Zagreb.

Indeed, they have history against another London side, having knocked Tottenham out of the same competition last season.

In fact, they have been in the group stage of a European competition for nine of the past 10 seasons. Therefore, Moyes was keen to stress that while many may fancy West Ham’s chances, they are the novices.

“You need to gain experience so that is why we need to give respect to Dinamo Zagreb who have been regular in European football,” he said. “We are still relatively new to the challenge.

“We have tried to take everything on positively and forward-thinking, we will try and be aggressive in our own way but ultimately we know we are new to the competition. Hope we will get to understand it the longer we go in the competition.

“This is new to us but we have watched Zagreb and we are very much aware of their history. We saw their performance against Tottenham which was very impressive.

“I don’t think Zagreb will see us as anything different so they will come into the game confident. This could possibly be the toughest game, away from home, but we go into it with a fit group of players.”

READ MORE: Solskjaer drops Man Utd selection hint that David Moyes could fear

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