Alaves defender Guillermo Maripan says he wants to play in the Premier League to fulfil a dream he had as a child.

The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to West Ham this summer, and when asked about his future on Chilean radio yesterday, he replied:

“I’ve always liked the Premier, I’ve always wanted to play there. I hope that when the transfer window opens in the European summer, some situations may occur. I want to fulfil that dream as a child.”

Maripan currently has a €25million (£22m) release clause with reports indicating the Hammers will only pay £9.5m for the centre-back.

The fact that the Chilean international seems to be very interested in moving to the Premier League could give the London club an excellent bargaining chip in negotiations with Alaves.

Maripan joined the La Liga side from Universidad Catolica for €950,000 two years ago but he has been impressive since his move to Spain.

He helped Alaves keep their top-flight status for a second season in a row this campaign, with the Spanish club finishing comfortably mid-table in 11th place, 13 points above the relegation zone.