West Ham make £1.2m bid for Derby starlet Luke Thomas as Manuel Pellegrini looks to future
Nineteen-year-old has starred for the Derby U23 side, but not managed to nail down a starting XI spot yet
MANUEL PELLEGRINI is set to make a blistering start to life as West Ham boss with the capture of one of the Championship's brightest talents.
The Hammers have reportedly bid £1.2million for Derby County midfielder Luke Thomas.
According to Guardian reporter Jacob Steinberg the Premier League side are "closing in" on the 19-year-old who is yet to make a first-team start for the Rams.
He has appeared off the bench in their failed promotion-chase, playing just six minutes of football.
However, he has starred for the U23 side this season, making 17 appearances and scoring six goals from an attacking midfield position.
With Derby currently without a manager after Gary Rowett left to join Stoke, it appears West Ham are keen to take advantage of the insecurity.
And the signing of Thomas will provide some youtful exuberance to what on paper is an ageing squad.
Many mainstays of last season's starting XI - including the likes of Pablo Zabaleta, Mark Noble and Angelo Ogbonna are over 30.
WARCHEST No wonder Pellegrini fancied the West Ham job
The £1.2m Pellegrini is likely to part with to purchase Thomas will be seen as small fry considering he has been given a £75m warchest this summer.
SunSport reported that the new boss said: “Bringing in maybe another four or five players, we are going to have a strong team.”
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Pell, 64, was unveiled as Hammers chief yesterday and is the club’s highest-paid manager in history.
The Chilean signed a deal worth £18.5million over three years, plus add-ons for a top-seven Premier League finish.
Pellegrini won the 2013-14 title and League Cup with Manchester City and replaces axed David Moyes at West Ham — concluding talks with joint-chairman David Sullivan on Monday night.