West Ham United have been handed a green light to pursue a move for Burnley forward, Maxwell Cornet...
What's the word?
As per the Express, the 25-year-old - as well as teammate Dwight McNeil - is 'expected' to leave Turf Moor this summer following the club's recent relegation, with it seemingly 'unlikely' that he will be turning out for new boss Vincent Kompany in the Championship next term.
The former Lyon man - who joined the Clarets on a £12.9m deal last summer - is said to be available for a fee of around £17.5m, owing to a release clause in his contract that was activated following the drop into the second tier.
The report states that an exit is expected to materialise, thus handing West Ham a green light to make a bid.
That will no doubt be music to the ears of those at the London Stadium, with the Hammers - as well as a number of other Premier League sides - having previously been linked with a move for the 25-cap speedster.
Imagine him and Danjuma
Managing to secure Cornet for a relative bargain price would no doubt be a major coup for David Moyes and co, with the "electric" gem - as dubbed by journalist Andy Jones - having blossomed in his debut campaign in English football last term.
Despite what was a poor season collectively for the Lancashire outfit, the £13.5m-rated forward enjoyed a real standout campaign on a personal note, netting nine goals and providing one assist in 26 top-flight outings.
Having largely featured as a left-back or wing-back during his days in Ligue 1, the £44k-per-week talisman thrived in something of a makeshift centre-forward role throughout the season, while also possessing the versatility to feature from either flank.
With pace to burn and a devastating eye for goal, it is unsurprising that there is such a clamour for his signature, with a player of that quality simply too good to be plying his trade in the lower divisions.
His arrival could also see Moyes fashion a lethal attacking partnership if the Scot is able to secure the capture of another highly-rated asset, amid reports that the east Londoners are plotting a move for Villarreal starlet, Arnaut Danjuma.
The former Bournemouth man - who made the move to Spain in a £21.3m deal last summer - is said to be available for a fee of around £40m due to the presence of a release clause in his current deal, with clubs no doubt climbing over themselves to try and snap up his signature.
That interest is seemingly warranted following what was a blistering season under Unai Emery, both domestically and in Europe, with the 25-year-old netting 16 goals and providing four assists in all competitions for the La Liga side.
Dubbed a "nightmare for defenders" by pundit Kevin Phillips, the one-time Club Brugge star was particularly impressive in his side's surge to the Champions League semi-finals, netting six goals in just 11 games in the competition.
Like Cornet, the £45m-rated forward is comfortable both in a central role but also on the left flank, with his sheer pace simply causing havoc for any defence, notably handing Manchester United's Diogo Dalot a torrid evening at Old Trafford back in September.
To have their forward line bolstered by the presence of both the Burnley man and Danjuma is a truly mouthwatering prospect, with the explosive duo set to cause carnage on the counter for Moyes' side.
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