West Ham United, Crystal Palace want to sign Middlesbrough sensation Pharrell Willis, long-term deal on the cards
West Ham are one of three London clubs in the running for exciting Middlesborough youngster Pharrell Willis, according to TeamTalk.
Willis made his full debut for the Championship side against Blackpool on Tuesday, where Michael Carrick’s side racked up a 3-0 win.
The 18-year-old is viewed highly by Carrick and Middlesborough are keen to tie him down to a new contract, but TeamTalk are reporting that West Ham are among three clubs trying to poach the youngster.
The London-born youngster is apparently on the radar of West Ham, Crystal Palace and QPR, with a return to the capital potentially on the cards.
After his debut on Tuesday, Carrick delivered a glistening review of Willis: “He plays with that spark, that freedom, he’s had a good attitude.” [TeamTalk]
An eye on the future
With the January transfer window now on the horizon, it’s promising to see the club already identifying promising young talents.
Willis is very fresh to the scene in the Championship but West Ham’s best chance of securing young stars is moving quickly and beating their rivals to his signature – something that the club seems to be doing.
With Declan Rice’s future not secure at the London Stadium, the Hammers need to make sure that they are already planning for the future by trying to find future gems that can take his place.
It’s far too early to suggest that Willis could even partially fill a void left by Rice, but the only way to know is to bring them into the squad and give them a chance.
Palace have thrived in recent seasons when it comes to picking up local London talent, so pipping Patrick Vieira’s side to the signing of Willis would also be a statement of intent from the Hammers and their future ambitions.