Gabby Agbonlahor believes that Adam Armstrong would be able to handle the step up to the Premier League, with West Ham chasing the Blackburn forward.

The former Newcastle man has emerged as one of the brightest talents in the Championship, having scored 17 league goals in 26 games. As well as his cool finishing, Armstrong has shone with his pace, movement and composure.

Therefore, it's no surprise to see top-flight clubs linked with him, and The Sun have claimed that David Moyes is regularly sending scours to keep tabs on Armstrong.

And, speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor pointed to players like Ollie Watkins to show that Championship forwards can easily handle the step up.

"You look at Ollie Watkins, you look at Ivan Toney, I’m sure if Brentford don’t go up, he’ll get a move to the Premier League. A lot of these Championship strikers are making the grade when they come up to the Premier League and they are showing they can do it.

"It wouldn’t surprise me if he was the sort of player who wouldn’t moan about being the second choice until he gets settled in. I’m sure that would be a perfect signing that David Moyes would look at."

The Hammers are short on options up top, after they failed to replace Sebastien Haller who joined Ajax last month.

The verdict

Anyone who has seen Armstrong play in the past 18 months will see that he has taken his game up several levels, and he will be ready to play in the top-flight.

His goalscoring record speaks for itself, and, as Agbonlahor rightly mentions, Championship players are handling the step up with ease.

So, a summer move feels inevitable if Rovers don't go up, and it would be a coup for West Ham to bring the 24-year-old in.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.