West Ham United are flying in the Championship and are consistently making significant strides to secure their place back in the Premier League next season, but must be laughing after recent transfer news.

West Ham, after a tricky start to the season in which the Hammers failed to find victory against any of Burnley, Charlton Athletic, or Watford, have found their stride and are more than in the battle for automatic promotion.

Nuno Espírito Santo's side are scoring goals for fun, having already hit 30 goals in the division after just 11 games, with goals coming from all areas of the pitch, including from the back in the form of Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Mavropanos has already netted five times in the Championship this season, and has emerged as one of the very best in the division in both boxes, and though interest in the 28-year-old is hardly surprising, the interested party certainly is.

Burnley are reportedly interested in West Ham United's Konstantinos Mavropanos

According to Turkish outlet A Spor, Mavropanos has caught the eye of Süper Lig giants Besiktas, with the Istanbul-based outfit preparing to initiate contact with the Hammers regarding a potential deal for the 46-capped Greek international.

However, in addition to Besiktas, the report also states that Championship rivals Burnley are interested in making a move for the towering defender, claiming that the Clarets have made an initial proposal through intermediaries in an attempt to lure him to Lancashire in January.

Burnley have won just one of their opening 11 league games this season and are firmly in a relegation battle right now as things stand, and unless a meteoric rise up the table ensues sooner rather than later, the Clarets surely have no chance of pulling such a deal off.

Konstantinos Mavropanos has been excellent for West Ham United

Mavropanos came through the ranks of Greek outfit PAS Giannina before joining Arsenal in January 2018 for a mere £1.8 million, making just eight appearances for the Gunners either side of loan spells with FC Nürnberg and Stuttgart, joining the latter permanently in the summer of 2022.

He'd return to London one year later with West Ham, who paid a fee in the region of £17 million to bring the Greek to the London Stadium, emerging as a key figure in the Hammers' back line under numerous coaches since.

Despite West Ham's relegation, Mavropanos would be awarded Hammer of the Year in the 2025/26 season, and cemented his popular reputation amongst the fanbase when choosing to stick with the club in the Championship for this season, where he has gone from strength to strength.

The 28-year-old is now amongst the very best in his position in the entire division, and if West Ham are to secure an immediate return to the top flight, he will likely have played a crucial role in doing so.

Given the sheer disparity in performance this season, to see Burnley's name linked with a move for Mavropanos will surely have amused many around East London, who will believe the Clarets have no chance of signing the defender anytime soon.

Burnley look much more likely to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Sunderland, Luton Town, and Leicester City to suffer double relegation from the Premier League to League One, and though Mavropanos would certainly help prevent a similar fate, they surely have no chance of luring him to Turf Moor in January or beyond.

Under contract until the summer of 2028, West Ham will be in no such rush to part ways with Mavropanos anytime soon given his importance to the side and their chances of a swift return to the top flight.

It would take a lucrative offer for West Ham to even consider parting ways with Mavropanos in January from any club, let alone a team in the same division towards the foot of the table, as the Hammers will be laughing this one off.

What do you make of Burnley's links with Mavropanos? Do the Clarets stand any such chance of signing the Greek defender? Share your thoughts below!

Nuno Espírito Santo will be holding out for a lucrative offer for Konstantinos Mavropanos to part ways with the Greek star

Nuno Espírito Santo is in the midst of his second season of managing in the Championship, and will be hoping to end the campaign in similar fashion to how he ended the previous one, romping to the league title with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018.

The Portuguese head coach could boast the likes of Diogo Jota, Rúben Neves, and Willy Boly amongst his star Wolves contingent, and with West Ham, he can flaunt each of Jarrod Bowen, Arne Engels, and Mavropanos.

Nuno will be well aware of the 28-year-old's importance to the side, and likely has absolutely no plans to sell him in January, let alone to a division rival.

It would take a blockbuster off from Burnley for West Ham to consider such a move, and whether they would be prepared to make such a bid remains doubtful.