West Ham are expected to move for Southampton’s Mario Lemina if they lose Pedro Obiang, but they would be better served going for the much more technically gifted Leandro Paredes, who is the perfect fit for the base of Pellegrini's midfield.

What's the story?

According to Sky Sports, West Ham are in advanced talks to send Obiang back to Sampdoria, from which he signed for the Hammers in 2015.

Sky Sports have since claimed that the Hammers would like to keep the wiry midfielder, but if the player feels his first team opportunities will be limited it would be no surprise if he heads back to Italy.

The original report from Sky named Southampton’s Lemina as a replacement for the Spaniard, but Pellegrini should change course and swoop for Paredes.

The 24 year-old is one of the best in the world at spraying the ball around from a defensive midfield position, and alongside Jack Wilshere would help create loads of chances for the Hammers’ new look attack.

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How good is he?

Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, Paredes made his name as a youngster at Roma, before making the switch to Zenit Saint Petersburg last summer. The 5 ft 11 midfielder plays in a defensive role, but his incredible passing and vision is his unique selling point.

The young midfield maestro, who has one goal in three Argentina caps, boasted an 86 per cent pass completion rate in the Europa League last season, but delving deeper into his passing stats reveals just how good he really is.

His average pass length across seven Europa League appearances was 24 metres. To put that in perspective, Obiang averaged 19 metres last season, while Lemina averaged just 16.

Pardes also plays over 70 per cent of his passes forward, which is almost identical to Obiang, while Lemina is once again lagging behind at just over 50 per cent.

Creating chances is where he really stands head and shoulders above the rest, making nearly two key passes per 90 minutes, while Obiang and Lemina both average less than 0.4, a remarkable difference for three players who occupy identical role for their sides.

Pardes isn’t just a passing machine though, he is also silky smooth on the ball, using his composure and close control to wriggle his way out of difficult situations. He also doesn’t mind getting stuck in, averaging two tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game, which is almost identical to Lemina and much better than Obiang.

All in all, Paredes is a fantastically gifted player who offers everything Lemina or Obiang would in a defensive sense but with far more creativity going forward. His ability to pick long passes in behind would make the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson absolutely lethal, which is why Pellegrini should turn to the crafty Argentine as his new partner for Wilshere in midfield.

So, West Ham fans, which player would you rather sign if you lose Obiang? Premier League experience or technical brilliance? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…