West Ham are lining up a summer raid for Derby County’s rising star Luke Thomas, according to Gloucestershire Live.
The news outlet reports that the Hammers are leading the chase to sign the attacker at the end of the season.
It is understood David Moyes’ side are ahead of a number of top-flight clubs currently eyeing the 19-year-old, who is a highly-rated talent.
Thomas is a versatile attacking midfielder and has mainly impressed for the club’s Under-23s side this season as a right-winger.
The teenager has been promoted twice to Derby’s senior team to feature in the Championship, where they are in the race for promotion and looking to secure a play-off spot.
Good move for West Ham?
Thomas is an upcoming talent at Derby that is being tipped for a big future, but is hardly the type of signing that fans want to see in the summer.
The winger is yet to fully breakthrough into the Derby side in the Championship and it would be a step too far for him at this stage of his career to move to the London Stadium.
West Ham have suffered an extremely mediocre season this year and need some high-profile additions in the summer to help them shoot up the table.
This Is Futbol rating: 3/10
Likely to happen?
West Ham are named as frontrunners for the Championship prodigy, but it seems unlikely Derby are going to let him go.
Thomas is still under contract with the Rams until 2020 and at least another year with them seems probable.
This Is Futbol rating: 2/10