OPINION
West Ham United have been one of the busiest Premier League sides in the transfer window this summer, and activity at the London Stadium shows no sign of letting up just yet.
The Hammers have been linked with moves for several attackers recently, but it is a potential outgoing which may be the biggest story of the last few days.
As reported by Sky Sports, the Hammers are in advanced talks with Sampdoria over an exit for midfielder Pedro Obiang, with a fee of £8.9million being discussed.
The final decision on the move will be left with the 26-year-old Spaniard, who would be returning to his former club after joining the Irons from Sampdoria in 2015.
It is said that if Obiang agrees to the move, then the club will potentially launch a swoop for Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina.
And while there would be many Hammers fans opposed to this move, with Obiang being a regular in midfield for the past two seasons or so, this could actually turn out to be a masterstroke by the club.
Lemina is two years younger than Obiang, and clearly has vast potential.
The Gabon international joined the Saints from Juventus, and prior to that he had been a key player for Marseille in Ligue 1.
While he has not yet hit the heights for Southampton – he made 29 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring just once – his potential is clear, and he would be a brilliant addition to the West Ham squad.
The Hammers would have a young, dynamic midfield duo in Lemina and Wilshere, which would be supplemented by experience from Noble and Kouyate.
While the loss of Obiang would be sad, the Hammers need to bring in a higher calibre of player if they want to progress in the next few years, and Lemina looks like he could grow into a real star.
It is a move which makes sense for the club, and they must do all they can to make it happen in the coming days.
