West Ham United are said to be very interested in the Celtic youngster.
According to the Scottish Sun, West Ham United are keeping a close eye on Celtic youngster Anthony Ralston, but the Hammers already have a promising right-back of their own in the form of Sam Byram.
The latest report suggests the Hammers have sent scouts to watch 18-year-old Ralston, who has featured four times so far this season and seven times since making his first-team breakthrough.
As well as impressing defensively, Ralston has impressed at the opposite end of the field, scoring one goal and providing two assists already this season, and his all-round ability appears to have caught West Ham manager Slaven Bilic’s eye.
While Celtic will have no intention of selling Ralston this summer, if West Ham continue to monitor the teenager with the aim of bidding in the future, it could be telling for Byram, who has failed to make his mark since signing from Leeds United last year.
Ralston’s current contract runs until the summer of 2019, so if he does fancy testing himself in the Premier League, a move in the next 18 months could be on the cards.
That said, he will have seen Byram struggle for chances – along with many of West Ham’s other young prospects – and could wonder if turning his back on regular first-team football is the right call at this stage of his career.
Byram did just that at Leeds and he has barely featured at the London Stadium, managing only 27 first-team appearances to date and not playing a single minute in the league so far this season.
If Ralston did ultimately arrive at West Ham as a long-term successor to Pablo Zabaleta, Byram’s time would surely be up before it has even begun. Although much will depend on just how highly Celtic rate the former and how soon he will become the undisputed first-choice option in his preferred position.
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