Exclusive: West Ham backed to seal "smart" Ipswich Town transfer | OneFootball

West Ham United have been backed to sign the Ipswich Town star

West Ham United are reportedly eyeing up a move for Omari Hutchinson as a potential Mohammed Kudus replacement.

According to Football Insider, the Hammers sent scouts to watch the winger during his successful U21 European Championship campaign for England.

The 21-year-old scored in the competition’s final, as Lee Carsley’s team beat Germany 3-2.

Hutchinson moved to Portman Road permanently last summer after enjoying a positive first season on loan with Ipswich the year prior.

However, following the Tractor Boys’ relegation, he could be on the move once more this summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa midfielder, Lee Hendrie, believes that Kieran McKenna may have to prepare for life without Hutchinson.

Lee Hendrie backs Omari Hutchinson to make West Ham United move

“Omari Hutchinson could be an option I think if Mohamed Kudus does leave the football club,” stated Hendrie. “I think he's got bags of potential, there's no doubt.

“Kudus is a very, very good player. You do feel bringing in younger players who have had a taste of the Premier League is a good move.

“That's why we see lots of these younger players playing at international level and Hutchinson is doing that.

“There could be the temptation of going to West Ham, which I think would be a good move for him and bring Hutchinson on as a player.

“You do feel if Kudus goes, it would be a smart move. I wouldn't say that they are identical in the way that they play.

“But there are lots of similarities between the two, they both obviously play in wide areas and provide an attacking threat.”

Ipswich should cash in on Omari Hutchinson sooner rather than later

Given Hutchinson’s tender age and impressive performances, it seems increasingly unlikely that he will remain at Portman Road this summer.

He showed flashes of brilliance in the Premier League last year, playing for a massively uncompetitive Ipswich outfit and would no doubt perform even better for a higher-quality team.

If West Ham do sell Kudus, they will likely receive a king’s ransom for the forward’s services and have a healthy amount of money to pursue Hutchinson’s signature with.

Therefore, if Ipswich can sell the 21-year-old for a similarly impressive fee, it would allow them to invest in other areas of their squad.

Hutchinson possesses obvious quality, and would no doubt be one of the Championship’s deadliest attackers, but the Tractor Boys could boost the overall quality of McKenna’s side with the money from the forward’s sale.

They will want to do this sooner rather than later however, to give them ample time to recruit their relevant transfer targets.