Club Brugge are reportedly keen to snap up West Ham United’s teenage attacking talent Elisha Sowunmi, who continues to weigh up his options.
According to Football Insider, West Ham United run the risk of losing highly-rated talent Elisha Sowunmi ahead of the summer. The teenager is weighing up his options ahead of signing his first professional deal, and Belgian side Club Brugge are reportedly interested in signing him.
West Ham are facing a challenge to keep hold of one of their highly-rated talent Elisha Sowunmi. The 17-year-old attacking whizkid has been sensational for the Under-18 side, scoring 12 goals including two hat-tricks for the side, while also being the top scorer in that age group.
The teenager is coming to the end of his scholarship deal with the Hammers, with the East London club open to handing him his first professional contract. There are fears that Sowunmi might reject the overtures of the Hammers and move elsewhere in search of a prominent place in a first-team setup.
Graham Potter has been instrumental in handing youngsters big chances to play for the senior side, and he has already done it at West Ham with the promotion of Oliver Scarles as one of their main starters now. However, the idea that West Ham are in the market for new attackers, particularly strikers may not fill Sowunmi with confidence over a pathway into the first team.
The Hammers are linked with some prominent strikers in the market, including Lyon’s Georges Mikautadze, Lille’s Jonathan David and AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham. There are also reports stating West Ham are monitoring the progress of Turkish pair Semih Kilicsoy and Baris Alper Yilmaz, meaning the pathway for a youth player into the first team might be blocked.
Club Brugge angling a move for Elisha Sowunmi
As West Ham face significant doubts in their efforts to keep hold of the 17-year-old attacking whizkid, Belgian side Club Brugge are angling a move for Sowunmi. The idea here is to snap up one of English football’s brightest prospects and develop his talents with regular first-team football.
The competition in the Jupiler Pro League is not as intense as the Premier League, meaning someone like Sowunmi, who is desperate to be involved in first-team action can gain massive experience here.
In addition, he can regularly play European football, particularly the UEFA Champions League. This might be the reason for his reluctance to sign a professional deal with the Hammers, as a move away from the limelight of English football could benefit the teenager in the long run.
