Sporting Lisbon winger Marcus Edwards is on West Ham’s list of targets for the January transfer window, according to The Guardian.

The injury sustained by Lucas Paqueta has made reinforcing the frontline a more urgent priority and it is believed that Edwards is one of four forwards being considered as options.

Sunderland’s Jack Clarke, Ajax’s Steven Bergwijn and Paris Saint-Germain’s Hugo Ekitike are the other players being looked but they are names that have been linked with the Hammers before.

The club’s interest in Edwards, on the other hand, is new. The former Tottenham academy graduate has carved out a career for himself in Portugal, where he is currently playing for the country’s league leaders.

What would West Ham be getting if they signed the Sporting star?

Edwards likes to play mainly off the right flank, cutting in onto his stronger left foot, but he has also been deployed as a support striker and a false nine in his career.

The forward is in pretty good form for Sporting, scoring 6 goals and contributing 5 assists in 25 appearances. He has been a regular starter as his team find themselves a point ahead of Lisbon rivals Benfica at the top of the Liga Portugal table.

Mauricio Pochettino is a fan of Edwards

The Telegraph reported in the summer that Chelsea were weighing up a move for the 25-year-old. Their manager, Mauricio Pochettino, had worked with the winger at Spurs.

Edwards had caught the Argentine’s eye when he was still in the North London club’s academy, and he even gave him a nickname, “Mini Messi”.

Of course, the Englishman doesn’t quite have that level of talent but he could be a suitable replacement for the likes of Said Benrahma or Maxwel Cornet. Both players are said to be deemed surplus to requirements this month.