Revealed: West Ham to announce £7.5million deal within hours

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

Published on:

15 Mar 2016, 11:44 am

By Editor Wayne Veysey | Former Evening Standard, Press Association and Goal chief correspondent with 17 years experience of breaking big stories, including exclusives like this

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West Ham will confirm the permanent signing of Manuel Lanzini within the next 48 hours, Football Insider sources understand.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has been on a season-long loan at West Ham from Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates and has impressed sufficiently for manager Slaven Bilic to sanction a permanent contract.

A well-placed source has told Football Insider that the fee the London club will pay for the Argentine will be £7.5million.

West Ham chairman David Sullvian revealed earlier in the season that his club had a "watertight" agreement in place to make Lanzini's loan a permanent transfer.

Speaking in December, Sullivan said: "We have until April to make it permanent but we'll probably due it before the due date.

"By February or March, he will be a permanent West Ham player. He's already sensational and he could be as good as any player in the world."

A deal has been in place for a number of weeks, but West Ham wanted to confirm Lanzini's fitness after a thigh injury.

Lanzini was in sparkling form before sustaining the injury shortly after Christmas. In total, he has scored six goals and supplied three assists in 23 West Ham appearances this season.

West Ham United

Manuel Lanzini