West Ham's bold next January transfer could be £26m wonderkid gem with tempting release clause

West Ham's 2-1 away win at Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend has given them hope of staying up this season under Nuno Espirito Santo. Crysencio Summerville and Callum Wilson got their goals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They are now five points from safety behind Nottingham Forest in 17th place.

The Hammers are inside the Premier League drop zone along with Wolves and Burnley after a tough campaign to date and have 17 points on the board from 22 fixtures. They are back in action on Saturday with a home clash against Sunderland. Their upcoming opponents have adapted well to life in the top flight since their promotion from the Championship under Regis Le Bris.

West Ham linked with move for Real Betis ace Pablo Garcia

According to Spanish news outlet Fichajes, West Ham are interested in £26 million-rated Real Betis ace Pablo Garcia. The 19-year-old winger is being tipped for a bright future in the game and has a lot of potential. His contract expires in June 2029 meaning the La Liga side are under no immediate pressure to sell him this month and can wait for the right offer to come in for his services before they consider cashing in.

Garcia, who is a Spain youth international, has been on the books of his current club for his whole career to date. He has risen up through their academy and has been a regular for them at various different youth levels to date. The teenager initially broke into their B team back in 2023 before making the step up to the senior set-up shortly after.

The attacker penned his first professional deal just over 12 months ago and made his debut against Real Mallorca last term in the league. He hasn't looked back since and has since become a useful player to have in Manuel Pellegrini's squad. The Seville-born man has made 23 appearances in all competitions to date and has chipped in with two goals. However, his long-term situation is up in the air at this moment in time amid attention from elsewhere.

Would Real Betis prodigy Pablo Garcia suit West Ham?

There is no doubt that Garcia is someone who will only get better over the next few years. West Ham need experience though and players who have the know how to get them out of trouble. It would be a surprise to see them sign an unproven prospect from abroad and then expect him to deliver the good immediately to help them pick up some more results.

If he joined the Hammers, he would initially give them more competition and depth going forward. He would provide cover for players like Summerville and Jarrod Bowen on the wings. It would be unrealistic to expect him to walk straight into Nuno Espirito Santo's starting XI and to hit the ground running. As with any player from overseas, patience would be required whilst he adapted to life in England.

West Ham don't have too much time though and need to build on their victory at Spurs. Not many saw them going there and picking up all three points so they have to try and build some momentum now. Nottingham Forest seem the most obvious team they can catch now and they need to ensure that they don't get cut adrift along with Burnley and Wolves over the coming weeks.