‘Big clubs’ - £4m rated winger has say on West Ham, Newcastle United, Southampton and Brighton transfer talk

Dundee United attacker Rory MacLeod has admitted he flattered by reported interest from West Ham. The 16-year-old is being tipped for a bright future in the game.

He was handed his first professional contract back in 2021 and made his first-team debut when he was just 15. The Scotland youth international has since played seven senior games for his current club but they will face a battle to keep hold of him in the future.

The Sun claim West Ham have been scouting him and he has a price tag of around £4million. The same source has also suggested Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion like him, whilst Football Scotland have reported that Southampton are keen too.

Nevertheless, MacLeod is fully focused on his Dundee United duties and has told the Courier Sport: “I’m going to stay focused on United. It’s nice to be recognised by all those big clubs. But wherever I am, and whatever the talk is, I always have my head down working. The club are brilliant when it comes to looking after the younger players and if anything happens, it happens.

“Playing alongside guys like Steven Fletcher and Charlie Mulgrew, getting all this experience at my age, is surreal. Fletch teaches you different movements, how and when to make runs in behind and different types of finishes; he’s different class.”

He is under contract until the summer of 2024 meaning the Terrors are under no pressure to sell him yet. However, it may be hard for them to prevent him from the chance of a Premier League move.

In other news, West Ham have reportedly rejected a bid from FC Lorient for goalkeeper Alphonso Areola, as per Mohamed Toubache-Ter. They want to keep hold of the ex-PSG man.