Summary Fabrizio Romano has revealed who West Ham could sign if Lucas Paqueta leaves the London Stadium. The player is wanted across the Premier League and could cost over £34m. He's an 'electric' talent who could light up the top-flight this season.

West Ham United may have begun the summer transfer window at a pedestrian pace, but they are now speeding through a plethora of different deals.

David Moyes has signed Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, spending the cash raised from the sale of Declan Rice wisely and there are likely to be more arrivals before the window closes in just under three weeks.

With this in mind, the Hammers could now make a move for one of the most highly sought-after talents on the continent; Mohammed Kudus.

Who else could West Ham sign?

Fabrizio Romano dropped an update on West Ham’s interest in the Ajax starlet on Monday.

He took to social media, saying: “West Ham now open initial talks to sign Mohammed Kudus — priority target in case Lucas Paquetá leaves to join Manchester City.

“Positive talks on player side, Kudus open to the move — still waiting to approach Ajax as deal will depend on Paquetá.”

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Brighton & Hove Albion reached an agreement in principle with the Dutch club to sign Kudus for a fee of €40m (£34.5m), yet no move has materialised, and it looks as though West Ham are looking to swoop in and hijack any potential deal.

Is Lucas Paqueta leaving West Ham?

Current West Ham star Lucas Paqueta could soon be on his way out of the club, with Manchester City showing plenty of interest and even having a £70m bid rejected by the club recently.

Pep Guardiola isn’t ready to give in just yet and another bid could soon be made, but Moyes should take the money and invest it in Kudus, forgetting about the Brazilian in the process.

Paqueta did enjoy a solid debut campaign in England, scoring five goals and registering seven assists while ranking fourth for shots on target per game (0.6), creating three big chances and making 1.1 key passes per game, good enough to rank him sixth and fourth across the squad in the Premier League.

What is Mohammed Kudus’ style of play?

That was an encouraging start for Paqueta, yet the 5 foot 9 frame of Kudus was far more impressive for Ajax.

The 23-year-old scored 18 goals and grabbed seven assists across all competitions for the Eredivisie side, clearly posing a much greater danger going forward.

Kudus also ranked fourth for shots on target per game across the Ajax squad domestically last term (0.9) and he also created four big chances and made one key pass per game, similar figures to Paqueta.

When compared to positional peers, it is clear who has enjoyed the better 12 months. Kudus ranks in the top 2% of positionally similar players in divisions comparable to the Eredivisie for non-penalty goals, pass completion percentage and successful take-ons per 90, while ranking in the top 3% for touches in the opposition box, showcasing his attacking qualities.

In contrast, the Brazilian only ranked in the top 25% for pass completion percentage while ranking outwith the top 60% for both successful take-ons and non-penalty goals per 90 when compared to positional peers in Europe's top five leagues.

The “electric” starlet – as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – could be the perfect fit for Moyes at West Ham, and he should be doing everything he can to secure his signature.

The Scot could forget all about Paqueta in the process.