Report: West Ham submit bid for starlet from PL rivals
Although West Ham United are currently mired in a desperate battle to avoid relegation, that doesn’t mean they can’t have one eye on the future.
It’s always good to be looking for the best young talent, something that the Hammers did with their successful wooing of striker Mipo Odubeko earlier this season.
There won’t be too many Irons supporters buzzing about the club chasing another young star when they need first team recruits, but that’s just the way it is.
Indeed, Football Insider reported on Thursday that the east London outfit have submitted a bid for Leicester City starlet Calvin Ughelumba.
The Irons are looking to add to their defensive options before Friday’s transfer deadline, and have made an offer for the young left back.
They see the 20-year-old as a future star, despite him having yet to make his first team debut for the Foxes.
If he does make the move to the London Stadium, he will likely link up with the Under-23s initially, before progressing to the senior side.
Is this a good move for West Ham?
In the long-term it might be, yes, but it’s unlikely that Ughelumba would feature for the first team in a relegation dogfight anytime soon.
The Hammers are obviously hoping that the prospect of a quicker pathway to first team football will be enough to tempt the youngster to ditch the Champions League contenders.
That may work, what with Ben Chilwell firmly entrenched at left back for the Foxes. However, you’d much rather they went and signed an established left back to take over from Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku.
In other West Ham news, an Italian journalist has claimed that the club have made contact with a Serie A side over a loan-to-buy deal for a central midfielder.