Forget Sunderland swoop - West Ham must beat Birmingham to exciting Brighton winger | OneFootball

West Ham United should switch their attention to Brighton winger Ibrahim Osman this summer amid Simon Adingra links

The higher-ups at West Ham United are busy drawing up their shortlists ahead of a hugely important summer for the club, though with business yet to really get underway at the London Stadium, the Hammers should look to beat a division rival to the signature of an exciting winger.

Following West Ham's return to the Championship after 14 consecutive years in the Premier League, expectations are sky high for the Hammers.

With a budget that dwarfs that of some other second-tier clubs, the East London outfit are expected to be fighting at the very top of the division from the very first whistle, and with a proven winner in Nuno Espirito Santo at the helm, you'd be brave to back against them.

However, Keiber Lamadrid's loan turning into a permanent deal remains their only incoming as yet, though links to players far and wide have not been sparse.

One of those links has been with Sunderland winger Simon Adingra, who looks to be on his way out of Wearside after just 12 months contracted to the club.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion star joined the Black Cats for around £21 million just last summer, though the Hammers ought to look to the Seagulls instead and beat a division rival to another highly coveted winger.

West Ham United should look to beat Birmingham City in the race for Ibrahim Osman's signature this summer

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With Crysencio Summerville looking increasingly likely to leave the club, wide options are not exactly available at a canter in West Ham’s current ranks, especially with the expiry of Adama Traore’s contract.

Across his career, Nuno has switched between a system with wingers and a system with wing-backs, and what he plans to utilise with the Hammers next season, at this stage, remains to be seen. Though, with interest in Adingra, and reported interest in Stoke City’s Sorba Thomas, it can be assumed that the Portuguese head coach is leaning towards a system prioritising wingers.

Adingra, 24, was loaned out to Monaco in the January window, and with three goals and two assists in 14 league games in the Principality, his £16 million buy option was not exercised, as he is set to return to Sunderland for now.

West Ham are not the only interested party, however, with each of Roma, RB Leipzig, Ipswich Town, and Hull City all reportedly interested in a move, with the Hammers well and truly up against it in securing a deal for the Ivorian international.

Should a move for Adingra not materialise, West Ham should instead plot a move for a current Brighton winger in the form of Ibrahim Osman.

Osman, 21, like Adingra, came through the ranks at Danish side FC Nordsjaelland before joining Brighton, with the Ghanaian switching to the English South Coast in the summer of 2024 for around £16 million before being immediately sent out on loan to Dutch outfit Feyenoord.

Half a year with Auxerre in France followed, as Osman spent the second half of last season on loan with Championship rivals Birmingham City, with whom he scored twice and assisted twice in 17 league games.

With the likes of Patrick Roberts, Carlos Vicente, and Demarai Gray as wide options, Birmingham have one of the best winger rotations in the Championship available to them, and with Osman in the mix, Chris Davies' side ought to have finished a lot higher than 10th last time around.

Birmingham have made no secret of their intentions of bringing back Osman, as per Alex Dicken via X, though West Ham ought to swoop in under Blues' noses whilst they can to secure a deal for the Ghanaian international.

Brighton have an array of talented wingers in their ranks, such as Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh, with the Seagulls’ business over the past decade since Tony Bloom assumed control being almost second to none, with only Brentford probably capable of rivalling them.

A loan deal with an option or obligation to buy seems like West Ham’s best route to securing a deal for Osman, with Brighton likely looking to make as much profit as they can on the £16 million they spent on him just a couple of years ago.

An incredibly tricky, quick, agile, and direct winger, Osman has shown glimpses of his talent in six months with Birmingham, and has the potential to really explode into life at the London Stadium.

West Ham’s

Nuno Espirito Santo must get business underway as soon as possible at West Ham United and must consider Ibrahim Osman swoop

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This summer, without a doubt, is an enormous one for West Ham, as failure to cultivate a strong transfer window poses the risk of remaining in the second tier for another year.

The Hammers simply cannot assume they will walk to the Championship title based purely on reputation, and following the appointment of former Rangers, PSV, and FC Copenhagen technical director Nils Koppen as director of player recruitment, incomings must arrive sooner rather than later in East London.

West Ham mustn't be left behind in the summer window; with teams around them consistently strengthening, they must do the same, as Nuno would be remiss to not challenge Birmingham for the signature of Osman.