OPINION
West Ham United have been handed a boost recently by the breakthrough of several academy players into the first-team environment.
Grady Diangana, Joe Powell and Conor Coventry all made their debuts in the Carabao Cup thrashing of Macclesfield a few weeks ago, with that trio joining Declan Rice in graduating to first-team football from the club’s youth set-up.
However, there may now be a chance for the Hammers to snap up a young talent from one of their Premier League rivals, one who is much more ready for first-team football than any of those three players.
As reported by the Express, Andreas Pereira could leave Manchester United on a free transfer next summer as his contract runs down to a conclusion.
The newspaper claim that the one-time Brazil international is yet to commit his future to the club, and could well leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
This opens the door to United’s Premier League rivals to swoop in, and West Ham must be among the clubs to do so if he does not agree a new deal in the coming months.
The 22-year-old has long been tipped as a huge talent, but several regime changes during his rise at Old Trafford has hugely limited his opportunities.
His talents shone during a loan spell in La Liga with Valencia, and he is in desperate need of regular first-team football in the coming years if he is to reach his vast potential.
The London Stadium would be the perfect place for him to develop under Manuel Pellegrini, with the Hammers crying out for another playmaker alongside Manuel Lanzini.
Their attack has been badly missing some creativity in the middle of the park, and Pereira would bring that in abundance if they were to snap him up.
The possibility of a free transfer makes this one a complete no-brainer for the Hammers, and they must now put the wheels in motion to make it happen next summer.
