West Ham £17m January transfer target agrees deal with Premier League rivals

West Ham's January transfer target, Ibrahim Osman, is now set to sign with Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer after agreeing a deal that will see him transfer from Nordsjaelland for £17 million.

According to reports from HITC, Brighton are closing in on another rising starlet and it appears the 19-year-old Ghanaian will move to The Amex this summer after agreeing terms in principle with Roberto de Zerbi's side.

The Hammers reportedly held discussions before the January transfer window closed last Thursday but those talks between the Danish side and the London Stadium broke down late in the month and, despite West Ham's interest remaining strong, Osman is now set for a different Premier League journey.

Born in 2004, the forward started his youth career with the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana before moving to Denmark in 2023. He has since made 29 appearances for Nordjsaelland across all competitions, scoring four goals and registering five assists. The starlet has also gained European experience after featuring in the Conference League, where he scored in his side's 7-1 win over Ludogorets in October.

While he usually operates from either wing, Osman is also capable of playing through the middle and it is this versatility that has attracted de Zerbi to him. The Italian Brighton boss has become known for switching systems and tactics during matches with Osman set to fit in well.

This will be the second time the Seagulls have done business with the Danish side after signing Simon Adingra from Nordsjaelland in 2022. After being sent on loan to Union Saint-Gilloise, he returned to the English south coast and has since scored four top flights goals in 2023/24 and is currently on international duty with Ivory Coast at AFCON.

West Ham made one acquisition in January, bringing in Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips on loan to the London Stadium as the ex-Leeds midfielder seeks an increase in game time ahead of the Euros 2024 competition which will take place in Germany this summer.