According to Sky Sports News (SSN) West Ham are one of a number of Premier League clubs tracking Fulham’s young starlet, George Williams. Williams, 19, has broken into the first-team at Fulham this season to make 10 Championship appearances so far, with his impressive performances alerting the club to his potential. The winger, who joined Fulham from MK Dons in June 2012, is out of contract next summer. And, with talks on a new deal at Fulham still to commence, the Hammers could seek to take advantage of the situation in the January transfer window.
Having made his full international debut for Wales in last month’s 2-1 Euro 2016 qualifying win over Cyprus, Williams could earn a second start in Sunday’s home game against Belgium. Both club boss, Kit Symons, and international manager, Chris Coleman, have praised his ability and potential to progress in the game. However, West Ham may decide to try to tempt Fulham with a January bid, with a view to developing that potential at Upton Park/the OS. With this possibility in mind, it will be an interesting exercise to see how, if selected, Williams performs against the talented Belgian national side.
Talking of promising youngsters, it has also been reported that U-21 goal keeper Sam Howes has signed his first professional contract. The young custodian is well thought of at the club and hopefully he will be able to push on, in time, and challenge for a regular first team spot. However, the Reece Oxford situation still rumbles on, with Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal all allegedly interested in poaching a prospect referred to as ‘the new Rio Ferdinand.’ Hopefully, the youngster will accept that West Ham is the best place for him to develop his talent and he will sign his first professional contract at the club. Regardless, the club must play ‘hard ball’ in this instance, much like they did with Man Utd over their recent interest in Oscar Borg.
It is a fact of life that PL clubs will try to poach oustanding prospects from each other, but West Ham must actively resist such overtures to retain the Academy’s best prospects. And, in doing so, the likes of Borg and Oxford need to be sold a vision of a ‘club on the rise,’ as we approach the crucial 2016-17 move to the Olympic Stadium. Ultimately, that must translate in to regular European competition via our finishing PL position, not just in the occasional good year, but consistently, season after season. Surely that has to be the ambitious core vision for the future progression of the club?
SJ. Chandos.