West Ham make enquiries about Chukwueze as they hope to avoid relegation amid Spurs' woes

ENGLISH Premier League side West Ham have enquired about Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze with a view to buying him in the summer if they manage to avoid getting relegated.

Chuwueze, 26, is owned by Italian giants AC Milan but is on a season-long loan to English Premier League side Fulham. Milan value the winger at about €24m and are expecting Fulham to activate the buy clause at the end of the season but London rivals the Hammers may now be interested in the player too.

So far this season, Chukwueze has scored three goals and provided four assists in all competitions despite being away at the Africa Cup of Nations, which forced him to miss six Premier League games. Since returning , however, he has been reintegrated into the Fulham side, with his recent run reinforcing the belief that he is now a key figure in Fulham’s attacking setup.

Fulham currently sit 12th in the Premier League table, with no relegation fears, unlike West ham who are involved in a bitter dog fight alongside the likes of Tottenham Hotspurs and Nottingham Forest. Only this morning Spurs sacked their manager Thomas Frank following their 1-2 loss at home to Newcastle last night.

Three teams will get relegated at the end of the season and with it looking like Wolves and Burnley are already down, there is an almighty scrap going on to avoid being the third team to join them. Of late, West Ham have found some good form and so are already planning ahead of next season, hoping that they will survive the drop.

West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo used the recent January transfer window to bring in five new faces. Axel Disasi arrived on loan to help stabilise a leaky defence, while Taty Castellanos, Adama Traoré, Pablo Felipe and youngster Keiber Lamadrid have all joined the team too.

According to Spanish media outlet to Fichaje, West Ham have made an initial enquiry over a potential summer move for Chukwueze. Apparently, apart from West Ham and Fulham, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, are all said to be monitoring developments closely, as they all see Chukwueze as a valuable asset.

Despite somewhat limited opportunities under Marco Silva, Chukwueze has still managed to make a telling impact.  He has shown he can influence games quickly whenever called upon, so if Fulham decide not to make his move permanent, West Ham appear ready to position themselves at the front of the queue.