According to reports by Swiss media outlet Blick, Southampton may be on the verge of launching a move for FC Basel forward Mohamed Elyounoussi.

Blick says that a Saints scout watched the 23-year-old in action when the Swiss outfit faced Lausanne on Saturday, and he was furiously writing away in his notepad whenever the Norway international was on the ball and would have been impressed with what he saw as the attacker scored one and was involved in many other positive moments in the final third.

The report adds that along with the south coast outfit, many other Premier League clubs have shown an interest in the Norwegian, who is expected to leave Basel by next summer at the latest.

Meanwhile, West Ham United's relegation worries increased as they were beaten 2-1 by leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and they are three points from safety after taking just 10 points from their opening 15 top flight fixtures this term.

Without a win since September, David Moyes will already be identifying potential new additions he could make to the squad during the January transfer window, and bringing Elyounoussi to the London Stadium could prove to be a shrewd move.

Here are three reasons the Irons should hijack Southampton's bid to sign the 23-year-old…

They need a new attacker

Considering they have the likes of Andy Carroll, Javier Hernandez, Diafra Sakho, Andre Ayew, club-record signing Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio in their ranks you wouldn't think West Ham would be in desperate need of signing a new attacker in January, but their Premier League goal tally suggests otherwise.

The Irons have scored just 13 times in their 15 top flight fixtures this season and with Carroll, Hernandez, Sakho and Antonio already spending time on the sidelines through injury and Arnautovic missing three matches after picking up a straight red card against Southampton in August, Moyes may not feel he can trust them to all get through the campaign with no more issues.

Elyounoussi would certainly be an interesting addition to the West Ham side in January, and he could prove to be a real threat to opposition defences in the second-half of the campaign.

Pace

Aside from perhaps Antonio and Arnautovic on occasions, West Ham aren't exactly blessed with an abundance of pace in their team in the final third and it has proven to be a problem for them.

They struggle to play on the counter-attack and they haven't been really incisive when they are looking to break teams down, but signing Elyounoussi could help them in that respect.

The 23-year-old is quick and according to WhoScored.com one of his main strengths is his dribbling ability, which is shown by the fact that he has successfully completed 11 of the 18 take-ons he has attempted in six Champions League appearances this season, according to Squawka.

Versatility

Elyounoussi has scored five goals and provided a further 11 assists for Basel this season, and his versatility makes him an attractive proposition for potential suitors.

While 11 of his 23 appearances in all competitions this term have come in a central attacking midfield role, the 23-year-old has also played on the left wing and as a centre-forward.

His flexibility could make him a good buy for West Ham and David Moyes, with the Scot being able to utilise him in a number of different positions when required, including during a match.

Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.