The £43m-rated diamond who could transform West Ham's midfield - if Tottenham don't sign him first

West Ham boss Graham Potter will be under pressure to get results from the off in the upcoming Premier League season. He was picked as their replacement for Julen Lopetegui during the last campaign after he took time out of the game following his sacking by Chelsea. However, the former Swansea City and Brighton and Hove Albion man struggled to pick up results at the London Stadium.

Potter needs to use this transfer window to add more quality to his squad and put his own stamp on the side. The Hammers could do with some more firepower, especially at the top end of the pitch, if they are to be successful. They have until the deadline on Monday 1st September to complete any incoming or outgoing bits of business and have work to do.

West Ham target Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey

West Ham have made ‘contact’ to sign Aston Villa attacking midfielder Jacob Ramsey, who is valued at £43 million, according to Caught Offside. However, They are said to face competition from rivals Tottenham Hotspur in pursuit of his signature. The ex-England U21 international has been linked with an exit at Villa Park and his future in the Midlands is up in the air at this moment in time.

Ramsey, 24, has risen up through Villa’s academy ranks and was a regular for them at various different youth levels. He was loaned out to Doncaster Rovers in the Football League as a youngster to get some experience under his belt and boost his development. Since his return from his temporary spell in Yorkshire, he has become a regular for his current club’s first-team.

The Birmingham-born man has made 167 appearances in all competitions and has scored 17 goals, four of which came in the last campaign. His contract expires in June 2027 so he still has two years left to run. Therefore, Aston Villa are under no pressure to sell him just yet and can wait for the right money to come in for his services amid interest from West Ham and Spurs.

Why Jacob Ramsey would suit West Ham

West Ham will see Ramsey as someone to boost their attacking department. If he joined, he would give them more competition and depth going forward which would come in handy. In addition, he can give Potter something different to call upon in games and would be a potential replacement for Mohamed Kudus, who left for Spurs.

He already knows the league and has played a decent amount of games to date so it wouldn’t take long for him to settle in. In addition, he is still young and has potential to get better down the line. He would have more chance of regular first-team football with the Hammers then he would get at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under Thomas Frank due to less competition for places.

Ramsey is the sort of player that can get fans off their seats and West Ham would benefit from having someone like him available to them. They kick-start the new campaign with an away trip to the Stadium of Light on Saturday 16th August to face newly promoted Sunderland. The Black Cats went up along with Leeds United and Burnley and will be eager to show what they can do at the top level under the guidance of Frenchman Regis Le Bris.

Time will tell whether the Hammers will have some new faces through the door before their trek up to the North East. Ramsey would be perfect but Spurs are also in the frame and could offer him Champions League football. Despite finishing 17th, they qualified after winning the Europa League after beating Manchester United in the final in Bilbao.