West Ham winger Sead Haksabanovic is hours away from joining Malaga on a season-long loan, according to Diario Sur.
The regional Spanish newspaper report that the Montenegro international is set to travel to Spain on Sunday to complete a medical and finalise the move, which has been approved by Manuel Pellegrini.
Diario Sur claim that Pellegrini almost kept Haksabanovic in the Hammers squad for the upcoming campaign after he impressed in pre-season, but a loan was decided to be the best option.
It is said that the deal has been agreed in principle after swift negotiations between the two sides.
OPINION
It was widely speculated that Haksabanovic would be kept around the first-team squad under Pellegrini this season after the Swedish-born Montenegro international impressed him in training, but this does look like the sensible decision. The chances of the 19-year-old getting enough first-team action to make a stay worthwhile were low, with several new signings set to be ahead of him in the pecking order. A loan away looks to be the best option to continue his development, and Pellegrini was obviously happy that former club Malaga came in for him. While the Andalucian club are now plying their trade in the second tier of Spanish football, they still offer Haksabanovic a big chance to impress and to develop in a stringent environment. In terms of the likelihood of this deal happening, it looks like this one is all but sealed. Diario Sur seem to have good connections with Malaga, and that bodes well for this one going through.
