West Ham must beat Fulham to £22m Chelsea transfer after 'likely to leave' bomb dropped - opinion

West Ham are in desperate need of fresh attacking impetus come January and there’s one transfer that looks both feasible and exciting for the London outfit.

Nuno Espirito Santo will look to put his stamp on his Hammers side come the next window, even if business is notoriously hard to do during the winter window. West Ham must look at players who are realistically available and one of those is Blues star Tyrique George.

Fulham had agreed a £22 million transfer with Chelsea for George in the summer but that deal collapsed in the final hours. The Cottagers’ interest in the 19-year-old was largely down to a fear of losing Harry Wilson to Leeds United, but the Welshman did not end up moving to Yorkshire.

Chelsea willing to let Tyrique George leave Stamford Bridge

Chelsea have been hit with attacking injuries this season with £30 million man Liam Delap a big absence. With Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku gone, that has put a lot of pressure on former Brighton man Joao Pedro, and highlighted the need for more strength in depth in that position.

However, George is regarded more as a wide player and Chelsea are well stocked in that position. George has only been afforded 138 minutes in the Premier League this season and looks to be the type of player who could do a job at West Ham. Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has freshly claimed that the forward is ‘likely to leave’.

In the summer, Fabrizio Romano claimed that Champions League and Europa League sides were interested in a transfer for George, as well as Premier League rivals. George is young, but has credentials that are being noticed by the right people.

West Ham must challenge Fulham to reignite £22m deal

West Ham do need to sign players guaranteed to make an immediate impact come January but must also think about the long term - this season’s slump has not started just in recent months. Available on a permanent transfer and with a high ceiling, George could grow to become a future West Ham star.

There is talk of Fulham reigniting interest, which the Hammers must monitor. SportsBoom suggested that the west London side are interested in breathing new life into the deal come January.

What is particularly promising about George is the praise that Maresca has given to his personality. The player seems a fighter and a character that, despite his young age, could help lift potential future West Ham teammates.

Speaking as he broke into the first team with appearances off the bench last season, Maresca said: “I think he was good. I was very happy for him to make his debut. The most important thing is he was not shy because he played with personality. This is important for a young player.”

In other news, West Ham could sign Premier League winger who Pep Guardiola labelled 'unstoppable'.