West Ham are considering a summer move for Fleetwood Town winger Paddy Lane, as per a report from The Sunday Mirror (17/04, p74).

The 21-year-old has featured 36 times for the Cod Army in League One this season, scoring five times and providing a further eight assists in that time. 

Proving to be a versatile option for the club currently battling to avoid the third tier drop, Lane has been deployed in several different roles throughout the campaign, the 21-year-old has played on both wings, as a number 10, and slightly deeper as a central midfielder.

West Ham have often taken calculated risks on players within the EFL, and looking at their current squad, Said Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen and Michael Antonio, are all players that have come from the 72.

Progressing through the academy at Blackburn Rovers, before continuing his youth career at Hyde United, Fleetwood welcomed Lane to Highbury last summer.

 

 

The verdict 

Lane has certainly impressed in a Fleetwood shirt, and it is by no means a shock to see interest surfacing, but the surprising element is a team as high as West Ham are interested. 

Yes, the potential is incredibly high, and the likely outcome will be that he will be sent out on loan, but West Ham are a side who are seemingly moving into new territory as they knock on the door of the top-six. 

That being said, their European adventure, and expected continuation of playing European football, means that they are likely to require a bigger squad over the next couple of seasons. 

Lane is certainly someone who has the potential to play his football in the Premier League and it remains to be seen if West Ham's initial interest could trigger widespread interest in his services.