West Ham have beaten out other Premier League competitors to secure the signing of Irish winger Sean Moore from Cliftonville, according to ExWHUemployee.
The Hammers clinched the highly-rated player who has made 31 appearances for the Northern Irish outfit while making numerous youth appearances with both Northern Ireland under-18s and Ireland under-19s.
ExWHUemployee wrote on Patreon on Wednesday (28 June) that Moore is now a West Ham player with the Irons beating Celtic, Brighton, Newcastle and Everton to his signature.
Star in the making?
West Ham have been linked with Moore for some time [Belfast Telegraph], but the transfer is now reportedly complete with the outlet reporting that his fee starts at £170,000 but could rise to £500,000.
Moore is a well-regarded youth prospect in Ireland. He helped Cliftonville qualify for the qualification rounds of the Europa Conference League with five goals and three assists in 26 appearances.
This feels like shrewd business from the Hammers. While the Declan Rice saga seems to be coming to a close, West Ham fans can take some solace in knowing that their youth setup has stepped up a gear.
With other Europe-qualifying sides such as Brighton and Newcastle reportedly vying for his signature, the talented winger has displayed a lot of potential through his unpredictability on the wings and willingness to learn from more experienced players around him.
He also snatched the Young Player of the Season award at Cliftonville last season. While the setup from the Irish League to a Premier League side is notable, the fact Moore broke into the first team at just 17 shows his talent and potential.
Gerard Lyttle, the assistant manager at Cliftonville, noted Moore’s natural talent to BBC Sport: “He has got that pace about him, with a drop of the shoulder and a trick to get away from players.
“I’ve played with and coached a lot of players that never understood how best to use their pace, but Sean does. He faces defenders up and goes at them. That gets fans out of their seats.”
Moore would be joining an exciting West Ham youth setup too, with the academy team winning this season’s FA Youth Cup. East London may be the ideal destination for more to improve his game and potentially see himself playing in the first team.
