Crystal Palace are rivalling West Ham, Newcastle and Huddersfield in the race to sign Thiago Mendes from Ligue 1 side, Lille this summer.
The Times reports that all the clubs are keen to sign the 26-year-old, but the Hammers have enquired about a deal as they look to steal a march on their rivals.
The midfielder is valued at close to £18 million with Manuel Pellegrini looking to continue his summer transfer business.
A host of Lille players have been linked with moves away from the club this summer after their struggles both on and off the pitch last season.
Mendes is also attracting interest from elsewhere in Europe, with both Lazio and Wolfsburg keen to snap up the midfielder.
Roy Hodgson has made it known that he is working on a small transfer budget this summer, so it is yet to be seen whether or not they would need to sell before they could entertain a deal for Mendes.
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