West Ham are “among” the teams “most interested” in signing Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze, according to Fichajes.net.

The Spanish rumour mongers claim that the Hammers, Arsenal and Aston Villa have all been tracking the Nigerian international after some strong performances this season.

Chukwueze has racked up 13 goals and contributed 11 assists in 50 appearances as he helped his team to a fifth-place finish in La Liga and the last 16 of the Conference League.

The 24-year-old has a year left on his contract with Villarreal, so a departure this summer looks certain, as the Yellow Submarine won’t want him to leave on a free next year.

There is a release clause in Chukwueze’s contract

The Hammers could look to trigger a clause in the forward’s contract, which means he can leave Spain this summer if a team offers €50m (£43m).

However, paying the buyout fee doesn’t seem worthwhile considering Chukwueze’s contract situation. It could be a move that will be looked at later in the transfer window when he is likely to be available for a knockdown price.

Do West Ham need a player like Chukwueze?

While the Nigerian has been in impressive form over the past twelve months, his favoured position is playing off the right-hand side. All but one of his starts for Villarreal this campaign have been on that flank.

Considering Jarrod Bowen is a nailed-on starter for manager David Moyes, you can’t see Chukwueze being a priority target for the Irons, especially when there are other areas of the pitch that need strengthening.

A new centre-back will be top of the list in terms of incomings while the impending departure of captain Declan Rice will also mean that a central midfielder is needed. At this stage, you would have to say that an offer for Chukwueze is pretty unlikely.