West Ham are reportedly eyeing up a brilliant, young Premier League midfielder.

With Lucas Paqueta’s future still being completely up in the air, it’s important West Ham prepare for all possible scenarios. While he could end up staying in East London, there’s also every chance that he will be found guilty of the betting allegations, resulting in a ban, or he could even still end up being sold.

If either of the latter two happen, then the Hammers need to be ready to find a replacement. Despite his poor form, the Brazilian is still a pivotal player and finding someone to fill his boots will not be easy.

However, according to Fichajes, they have already lined up a possible replacement, one with plenty of Premier League experience

Even though he’s only 20-years-old, this is now Julio Encisio’s third Premier League season. He may not have had the most minutes, but he’s by far Brighton’s biggest talent at the moment – which is really saying something.

However, the Seagulls have been unable to convince him to agree to a new contract, and they may look to cash in on him over the next couple of transfer windows in order to not lose him for free.

A number of clubs across Europe are keeping a watchful eye on his situation, so our Irons may need to persuade him to join us over some of the continent’s elite sides.

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