Tony Mowbray has already highlighted 'exceptional' quality Dan Neil would bring to West Ham

West Ham United are said to be keeping tabs on Dan Neil ahead of a potential free transfer.

Long gone are the days of West Ham being linked with some of world football's biggest names, though that isn't a bad thing.

The goal for the next campaign is to earn promotion back to the Premier League, and the decisions made will need to reflect that, and it seems as though they will.

Ben Jacobs reported via X on 25 June that West Ham remain keen on a deal for Neil, who is due to leave his boyhood club, Sunderland, at the end of the month.

He spent the previous campaign on loan at Ipswich Town, where he played a big role in getting them back to the Premier League.

And if he can replicate the qualities that Tony Mowbray once highlighted from the duo's time together at the Stadium of Light, he may be able to repeat that trick with the Hammers.

What could West Ham fans expect to see from Dan Neil?

The main thing is graft, and plenty of it.

Neil was influential in Sunderland's rise from League One, and the main reason behind that was his willingness to put in the hard yards for his team.

He chipped in with goals and assists along the way, but it was so often his work rate and desire to play for the badge that saw him adored by supporters

And back in 2023, that was reiterated by former Black Cats boss Mowbray, who is now back in charge of Blackburn Rovers.

As quoted by the Sunderland Echo, he said: "There are so many things he can still get better at, he's an exceptional human being and I pick him every single week.

"But if there's one player who is going to get there one day through his work ethic... he's wanting to do extra after training and he's wanting to watch his clips to see his good moments and his not so good moments. That's Dan Neil; he wants to get better."

Where would Neil fit in at West Ham?

Neil has played his fair share of positions throughout his relatively short career, but for Sunderland, most of his success arrived when playing as the deeper midfield.

On Wearside he was responsible for keeping the game ticking over while releasing the ball to some of their most technically gifted players to create.

If a move to West Ham were to materialise, that should, and almost certainly will, be the role that Nuno Espirito Santo has in mind for the midfielder.