West Ham United look set to miss out on Barcelona prodigy Alen Halilovic this summer, with IB Times reporting that the young midfielder is set to sign for Valencia on loan.
The Hammers have been linked with a move for the sublimely gifted playmaker over the last 12 months given that compatriot Slaven Bilic knows the starlet well from his time as the Croatian national boss.
Bilic is believed to be a big admirer of Halilovic’s abilities, with the youngster having a bright future in the game.
Barcelona are also thought to rate him highly and as such want to farm him out for another season before bringing him into the first-team fold at Camp Nou.
Valencia is seen as an ideal place for him to develop and would also offer him more experience of Spanish football.
The 19-year-old has started 20 La Liga games this season while on loan at Sporting Gijon, with some labelling Halilovic as ’the Croatian Messi’.
