West Ham United have been linked with a couple of Bournemouth players recently, but neither boast the potential of Lewis Cook.
It was another interesting transfer window for West Ham last month, with some of the depth issues within the squad being addressed, but perhaps not necessarily with the players that the fans may have hoped for or expected.
Joao Mario is a brilliant loan addition and the early signs hint that he could play an important role in the coming months. Meanwhile, the fans may have to be convinced about Jordan Hugill, after he arrived at the London Stadium after scoring eight goals in the Championship this term.
The pair were the Hammers’ only two additions despite the club being linked with a significant number of players during the month. Two of the players that West Ham were reportedly interested in, according to Football London, but ultimately did not arrive through the door were Bournemouth duo Harry Arter and Ryan Fraser.
Arter has proven himself to be a very decent Premier League player while Fraser sometimes shows signs of potential that suggest that he is going to be an excellent winger in the near future.
Nevertheless, West Ham should arguably shelve any potential plans to revive their interest in either of the Cherries pair at some stage down the line and instead target one of their teammates.
Lewis Cook is arguably one of the brightest prospects in the Premier League right now. The 21-year-old has featured regularly for Eddie Howe’s side this term and has received a call-up to the senior England side having captained the under-20 team to World Cup glory in 2017 – making him the first England captain to lift a world trophy since Hammers legend Bobby Moore in 1966.
His performances appear to have stepped up this season, and at his age, he should still be developing and perfecting his craft, and that is almost a frightening prospect given how well he is currently playing.
Cook would certainly not come cheap. The Guardian reported when he joined from Leeds United that Bournemouth could end up paying £10 million for the youngster, so West Ham would be taking something of a risk pursuing a deal as he was a much more unproven talent when Bournemouth felt compelled to pay an eight-figure fee.
But if they did decide to take that risk, it seems more than likely that any fee paid for the midfielder would be vindicated in the future. And with West Ham already boasting the kind of academy graduates that should leave their fans desperately excited for what their future side could look like, perhaps the club should look to make Cook one of their main targets for the summer to try to give that future side a leader and lynchpin in the middle of the park.
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