West Ham emerging star wants transfer to join his best mate - report

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Published on:

28 Aug 2016, 6:03 am

By London correspondent Tony Hughes

West Ham emerging star Reece Burke wants to join Wigan on loan, according to a report.

The Sun claim the defender, 19, is keen to move to the Championship club and link up with his best friend Kyle Knoyle.

It is said that Blackburn and Barnsley also want Burke but his fellow Hammer Knoyle is already on loan at the DW Stadium, which could prove decisive.

Burke penned a new four-year deal with the Hammers earlier this week and started at left-back in a weakened team in their Europa League defeat to Astra Giurgiu on Thursday.

Speaking to the Hammers' official website, Burke accepts his development will be best secured by a move away from the London Stadium to gain regular first-team football.

“This season, another loan move may happen for me," Burke told West Ham's official website. "I think I’m going to try and do Championship – the next step. I’ll hopefully get another load of games under my belt.”

England Under-20 international Burke won Bradford City's Player of the Year last term, after making 36 appearances in all competitions during a loan spell at Valley Parade.

The Newham-born academy graduate has made 12 senior West Ham appearances and was named the ‘Young Hammer of the year’ for the 2014-15 season.

Rotherham have taken full advantage of the loan system, signing the likes of Chelsea's Izzy Brown, Cardiff's Tom Adeyemi and Brighton's Jake Forster-Caskey.

The Hammers are happy to allow their young fringe players to leave the London Stadium on-loan, after letting Stephen Hendrie join Blackburn and Josh Cullen join Bradford.

In other West Ham transfer news, the Hammers are in talks to complete a £5.1m deal for this Spanish midfielder.

West Ham United

Reece Burke