West Ham are reportedly keen on Celtic defender Anthony Ralston.
According to The Scottish Sun, West Ham United have sent scouts to watch Celtic youngster Anthony Ralston ahead of a possible future move for the teenager.
The Hammers have mostly focused on signing players with Premier League experience this summer, with Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez all arriving – though they have enjoyed little success so far this season.
Yet, with the signing of Halmstads midfielder Sead Haksabanovic, West Ham are still showing they have an eye for the future, and will move for talented youngsters to develop over the coming years.
Now, The Scottish Sun report that West Ham are interested in signing Celtic defender Anthony Ralston, and have sent scouts to watch him in action ahead of a possible move for him.
Ralston, 18, has been on the books with Celtic since 2009, and has been making his way up through the ranks at Celtic Park, eventually becoming a first-team player under Brendan Rodgers.
Whilst he isn’t about to displace Mikael Lustig in the Celtic starting line-up any time soon, the teenager has shown real promise in his first team opportunities, and was even invited to train with the Scotland senior squad on Monday.
West Ham have veteran Zabaleta at right back, and whilst Sam Byram offers cover there, the Hammers could see Ralston as a long-term solution at right back, hence their decision to scout the Scottish youngster.
Celtic won’t want to lose a homegrown star though, and having stood firm on Kieran Tierney’s future at Celtic Park, the Hammers may face a real battle to sign Ralston, if they do firm up their interest in him over the coming months.
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