According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United have had a £5m bid turned down for Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter.
The Sun says that Cherries manager Eddie Howe has had to sit the Republic of Ireland international down and explain the decision to him, with the 27-year-old not being a regular in the south coast outfit’s midfield this season.
Irons boss David Moyes is keen to bring Arter to the London Stadium to bring some bite in the centre of the park, but The Sun says they will have to pay more than twice their initial offer to sign the Irishman, who only penned a new four-year contract at the Vitality Stadium during the summer.
One of the main factors in the midfielder finding himself in and out of the team has been down to the emergence in the starting line-up and the performances of teammate Lewis Cook, who is rated at £5.4m according to Transfermarkt and is now establishing himself as a key first-team player for the Premier League strugglers having joined them in July 2016.
Moyes and the Hammers could choose to look elsewhere having seen their initial bid for Arter rejected, and bringing Cook to the club could prove to be a shrewd move.
Here are three reasons West Ham must forget the 27-year-old and sign his Bournemouth teammate instead…
His statistics
Having made 111 appearances in all competition for Leeds United and Bournemouth despite only being 20 years of age, it is clear to see that Cook is highly-rated and has plenty of qualities in his locker.
According to WhoScored.com, his main strength is his dribbling ability and he has successfully completed 20 of the 26 take-ons he has attempted in 14 Premier League matches this season.
He has also won 22 tackles and made 14 interceptions from a defensive point of view, while he has made 12 key passes to help his team in the final third.
He loves a battle
He may be young and less experienced than many of the players he comes up against in the Premier League, but like Arter there is no doubt that Cook loves a battle, and we have seen that on many occasions in his 14 top flight appearances this season.
The 20-year-old isn't afraid to get around the pitch, get stuck in and put his foot in when needed, and those are the sort of qualities David Moyes might be looking for to add some more steel to his midfield and start to find a long-term replacement for captain Mark Noble, who is getting no younger.
Potential for the future
While Moyes may feel that Arter can make a difference for West Ham now, he will also surely be concerned that the 27-year-old hasn't been a regular fixture in the Bournemouth side this season.
In that regard the Republic of Ireland international may not be the long-term answer the Irons need in the middle of the park, and the Scot would perhaps be better off trying to bring Cook to the London Stadium instead given he is impressing for the Cherries and has plenty of time to improve and develop, and would likely be worth more and have a larger resale value in the future.
Do you agree, Hammers fans? Let us know below.