West Ham United are reportedly one of the clubs who are interested in Brighton and Hove Albion starlet Moises Caicedo, as manager David Moyes seeks to bolster his midfield ranks.
What's the word?
According to the Mirror, the Hammers - as well as fellow Premier League side Arsenal - are believed to 'keeping tabs' on the 20-year-old, while clubs across Europe are also sniffing about following the Ecuadorian's impressive start to the new season.
The 23-cap gem - who signed for the Seagulls on a £4.5m deal back in February 2021 - notably starred in the opening day triumph over Manchester United, with the Red Devils now said to also be contemplating a move before the September deadline.
The report does suggest, however, that Graham Potter and co are in no rush to part ways with the youngster, having already sold the likes of Marc Cucurella and Yves Bissouma so far this summer.
Game changer
Caicedo could well prove to be the answer to West Ham's prayers, with the club having yet to adequately bolster their midfield ranks in the window thus far, having notably missed out on Amadou Onana to top-flight rivals, Everton.
With long-serving captain Mark Noble out of the door - as well as loan flop Alex Kral - Moyes has seemingly been left with a real dearth of quality and depth in the centre of the park, with it yet to be seen how involved summer arrival Flynn Downes will be this season.
Currently reliant on both Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice, the pair could no doubt benefit from more intense competition, with the Brighton gem seemingly the ideal, Premier League-ready option who can pose a genuine threat to their regular starting berths.
The £3.5k-per-week maestro was lauded for his "sensational" display against Erik ten Hag's side at Old Trafford last week by journalist Josh Bunting, having completely overrun the home side's ailing midfield.
That performance was merely a continuation of the form he had shown in the latter stages of last season, having started all of his side's last ten league games (two this season and eight last season) since making his debut in the competition back in April - losing just once away at Manchester City.
Such a remarkable string of eye-catching displays has seen him labelled an "absolute game-changer" by journalist Charlie Heffenden, with those at the London Stadium no doubt hoping he can make a similar impact were he to make the switch this summer.
While the 5 foot 10 menace views himself as potentially more of an attacking threat, his ball-winning ability has been evident of late, as he notably ranks in the top 16% for tackles made among those in his position across Europe's top five leagues.
That record is far superior to the aforementioned pairing of Rice (top 44%) and Soucek (top 65%), with Caicedo potentially offering something that West Ham's current first-choice duo appears to lack.
In that regard, he could well prove something of a game-changing signing for Moyes and co, if they can fend off the competition to get him through the door.