OPINION
West Ham United have been one of the busiest Premier League clubs in the market this summer, and the activity at the London Stadium has shown no sign of letting up just yet.
The Hammers have been linked with several players in the last week or so as Manuel Pellegrini looks to finish off his spending with a flourish.
One of those linked with the club has been Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham, with L’Equipe reporting that the club had approached the Scottish Premiership champions about a potential deal for the 22-year-old star.
The latest report on the situation comes from the Daily Record, who claim that Celtic have no intention of selling Ntcham this summer, with West Ham to be given no encouragement in their chase.
While that may be the case, there is still a high possibility of the Hammers being able to sign Ntcham this summer if they doulbe their efforts and eventually cough up the right price.
And, with Cheikhou Kouyate looking set to leave the London Stadium, this is a swoop which the Hammers must look to make a reality in the coming days.
Ntcham is a brilliantly talented central midfielder who looks like he could be destined for the top of the game if his development continues at this rate.
The Frenchman has shown marked improvements in his game since joining Celtic last summer, and he would be a stellar addition to this exciting West Ham squad.
His defensive work is outstanding, with Ntcham providing massive energy in the middle of the park, and going forward the youngster showed his worth with nine goals last season.
Celtic signed Ntcham from Manchester City for a fee of £4.5million last summer, so if the Hammers bid in excess of £10million the Hoops would surely find that hard to turn down, despite their insistence that Ntcham is not for sale.
Pellegrini must now put the wheels in motion for a formal bid to take place, with the Hammers to have an absolute gem on their hands should a move come to fruition.