West Ham United are reportedly lining up a controversial move to land Mahlon Romeo from bitter rivals Millwall.

The 21-year-old has thoroughly impressed since bursting onto the scene at Millwall and has consistently churned out reliable displays at right back.

The former Arsenal youngster has really nailed down his first team spot this season and has played in 14 of the Lions' 15 league games this year.

Mahlon Romeo is certainly too talented to be playing in League One for too long and the Antigua and Barbuda international might not want to stay at the New Den, with Millwall scrapping at the bottom end of the third tier.

There is a wealth of young talent coming through the ranks in the Football League, just like Romeo, who a team like West Ham should also be looking at.

After the success of Aaron Cresswell and Michail Antonio, who both learned their trade in the Football League, West Ham might once again look to recruit domestically.

Here are THREE players who they should look at alongside Mahlon Romeo, and who ultimately could follow Romeo to the London Stadium......

 

George Cooper

One of the Football League's hottest prospects, George Cooper already has plenty of game time under his belt despite his young age.

The 19-year-old has well over 50 league appearances for Crewe and is definitely destined for better things than League Two football.

The left-footed versatile midfielder has been dubbed "the assist machine" by his teammates and he would be a good young addition for the Hammers.

Ben Stevenson

Coventry have had a dire start to the season but one of the bright sparks has been the breakthrough of young Ben Stevenson.

The 19-year-old academy product had never played a first team game before this season but he dominates the central midfield regions among the very best in League One.

He is a technically gifted player who opened his account in style with a long-range effort recently but he also has very strong defensive capabilities too, making him a perfect catch for a Premier League side.

Bright Osayi-Samuel

Young winger Bright Osayi-Samuel has made a real impression since breaking through at Blackpool.

The tricky Nigerian-English wide man has the pace and skill to beat players but just needs to add some end product to his game.

Still a very raw talent, the 18-year-old has attracted interest from the Premier League big boys but West Ham could make a cheeky bid to land the in-demand starlet.