West Ham United will likely be kicking themselves at their inability to sign new Manchester United hero Christian Eriksen, with the Danish maestro currently in sparkling form for both club and country.

The 30-year-old had reportedly been a target for the Hammers over the summer following his departure from Brentford at the end of last season, with the east London outfit said to have made contact regarding a deal for the free agent.

The former Inter Milan playmaker had been the subject of hefty interest having made a stunning return to action with the Bees in the second half of last season after having suffered a life-threatening cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 just a few months earlier, laying on five goal contributions in just 11 games for Thomas Frank's side.

As it proved, David Moyes' side were unable to sign the one-time Tottenham Hotspur man as he ultimately made the move to Old Trafford, with the Irons having reportedly also failed to strike a deal for the midfielder 18 months ago after having been offered the player by his former employers at the San Siro.

That double missed opportunity has more than come back to bite GSB as Eriksen has been in simply stunning form for the Red Devils so far this term, proving himself a key cog in Erik ten Hag's improving outfit.

While he has just two assists to his name in eight appearances for United thus far, the £150k-per-week menace has largely caught the eye for his all-round displays, having been lauded as a player with "intelligence" by pundit Paul Scholes this week.

Operating in a deep-lying role alongside Scott McTominay, the footballing "genius" - as lauded by Statman Dave - has earned plaudits for his forward-thinking approach and ability to initiate attacks with incisive and clever passes.

That quality was also evident in Denmark's recent victory over France, as the 117-cap talisman notably picked out Andreas Skov Olsen with a glorious dinked pass from deep, having also netted a stunning strike against Croatia from distance just a few days earlier.

It would appear that Ten Hag and co have managed to land themselves a bargain having signed a player on a free who is reportedly worth £19.8m, according to Transfermarkt, with the Hammers likely ruing their failure to secure a deal, particularly with the lack of quality midfield competition for Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek in Moyes' ranks.