West Ham watchers will probably have been surprised by the name arising yesterday on the Hammers’ summer transfer radar. Of course we’ve all been here before with reported interest in players which then disappear for ever or – worse- get snapped up by one of the competing Premier League wolfpack.
So when Lucas Stassin became the latest hot property to appear on media outlets linked to West Ham yesterday I must confess to knowing little about the striker in question – and hastening off to do some research.
Just a couple of months ago, Ligue1.com produced an article prophetically titled :
Most Read on West Ham News
“One to watch: Lucas Stassin becomes a derby hero and Saint-Etienne’s new idol”
It is clear that interest in the young striker is not limited to Europe: Again from April further reports suggested Premier League clubs were already on his trail:
“Should Sainté be relegated back to Ligue 2, Stassin may leave the club in the summer….The journalist understands that Brighton and Hove Albion, Brentford, and VfB Stuttgart “love” the Belgium youth international. ”
Reported getfootballnewsfrance.com. Whilst he may be a new name to West Ham fans, the young Belgian has certainly already made waves amongst Premier League clubs with scouting networks and European teams looking for new talent on the continent.
Ten goals and five assists in a debut season in Ligue 1 is a pretty good start and someone will snap him up: Are West Ham, with their current recruitment team brave enough to take the plunge on potential alone: That is the question.
It is, ironically the positive side of a small transfer budget. Talent has to be unearthed, nurtured and developed instead of simply bought in at a mammoth price based on reputation and agent-speak.
Another ‘Luis Guilherme’ pearl-signing but without the £25m price tag. What could possibly go wrong.