West Ham & Everton to Rival Brighton in Pursuit of Former Leicester City Loanee

Austrian defender Aleksandar Dragović could be set to return to the Premier League this summer despite Leicester City's reported decision not to sign the

Austrian defender Aleksandar Dragović could be set to return to the Premier League this summer despite Leicester City's reported decision not to sign the 27-year-old permanently following a season-long loan at the King Power Stadium.

The Foxes had an agreement in place with German side Bayer Leverkusen that would have seen Dragović move to the east Midlands for just £15m, but the signing of West Brom veteran Jonny Evans has made the club turn their attention elsewhere in the transfer market.

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The Mirror claim that both West Ham and Everton are now the frontrunners for his signature if Dragović was to return to the Premier League this summer, while Brighton & Hove Albion are also interested in signing the defender.

West Ham have already made the impressive defensive signings of Issa Diop and Ryan Fredericks from Toulouse and Fulham respectively, while Łukasz Fabiański has also joined the club this summer after being relegated last season with Swansea.

Everton are yet to make any new signings under new manager Marco Silva, but the Toffees will have Sandro Ramirez, Ademola Lookman and Henry Onyekuru return to Goodison Park following spells out on loan.

Brighton meanwhile have secured the services of Sunderland goalkeeper Jason Steele, as well as Mainz defender Leon Balogun and Deportivo La Coruña striker Florin Andone.

Dragović has had a whole host of experience throughout his career, but the Austria international has never settled in a major European league. The 27-year-old came through the academy at Austria Vienna before joining Swiss giants FC Basel as a teenager.

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He then moved to Ukraine and joined Dynamo Kyiv two years later for €9m. Dragović finally got his big break by moving to the Bundesliga in 2016, but the defender was shipped out to Leicester a year later having spent the majority of the season on the fringes of the German club's first team.