West Ham open talks to sign Premier League midfielder

To say that this season has unravelled more dramatically than anyone could have imagined for West Ham United would be a colossal understatement.

It was always going to be a challenging campaign for the East Londoners, but few would have expected them to be 18th in the Premier League, seven points from safety with just seven games to play.

As if that wasn’t enough, midfield maestro Lucas Paqueta is trying to jump ship, making Nuno Espírito Santo’s incredibly challenging job a bit harder.

What the manager needs is a real leader in his side, someone like the legendary Mark Noble, and as it happens, it sounds like West Ham are targeting just such a player.

West Ham target their new Noble

Given their precarious position in the Premier League, this transfer window has been an unsurprisingly hectic one for West Ham United.

On the one hand, the Hammers have brought in two strikers: former Lazio man Taty Castellanos and former Gil Vicente star Pablo Felipe.

However, it also now seems likely that they will also finally lose midfield magician Paqueta, who has seemingly made it his mission to abandon the side and head back to Brazil before the window shuts.

With all of this in mind, it’s clear that the club need a stabilising presence in the side, a Noble-like figure, and it looks like they have identified a player who could be just that.

At least, that is according to a recent report from journalist Ben Jacobs, who claims West Ham are interested in Dan Neil.

In fact, Jacobs has revealed that, alongside the likes of Coventry, Sheffield United and Rangers, the Hammer have made contact with Sunderland and enquired about the 24-year-old.

It’s not clear how much he could cost, but with his £15k-per-week contract coming to an end in the summer, it surely wouldn’t be too much.

In all, while it might not be the most exciting signing, West Ham would be wise to sign Neil, especially as he could be Nuno’s own Noble.

Why Neil could be Nuno’s Noble

Now, the elephant in the room is that Neil has barely featured for Sunderland this season, playing just 103 minutes of first-team football.

However, while that doesn’t sound great on the surface, it’s important to remember that the Black Cats signed some incredible players in the summer, and it was Bundesliga winner Granit Xhaka who replaced him at the base of midfield.

In other words, just because he isn’t at the level to displace someone many would consider one of the best signings this season, it does not mean he couldn’t do a brilliant job helping West Ham stave off relegation.

With that said, what about him means he could develop into a Noble-like figure for Nuno?

Well, there are a few apparent similarities, such as their positions and nationalities, but the big ones are their personalities and leadership skills.

Take the former Hammers legend: sure, he might not have been the flashiest or most technical of players, but he was a genuinely excellent captain and stabilising force in his team.

The exact same could and was said about the Sunderland star prior to this season.

For example, last season he made 48 appearances across all competitions, all of which were starts and all of which he wore the captain’s armband for.

The 24-year-old was the beating heart of the team’s midfield and helped guide them to the Championship Play-Offs, where they beat Coventry City in the semi-finals and then Sheffield United in the final.

Unsurprisingly, he is a popular figure in the dressing room, and midway through their promotion campaign last season, teammate Harrison Jones called him a “proper leader.”

Ultimately, it’s not an exciting or glamorous signing, but West Ham do not need that; they need a steady and dependable player in the middle of the park, someone like Noble, and that is what Neil could be.