West Ham are 'starting to look at' Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O'Brien

West Ham United are ‘starting to look at’ Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The highly-rated 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent months after putting in several impressive displays for his boyhood club.

According to TEAMtalk, West Ham have joined the race for O’Brien’s signature, who Leeds United saw several bids rejected for last summer before he signed a new contract until 2025.

The report also states that Crystal Palace have been checking on him in recent weeks, while listing Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley and Norwich City amongst his potential suitors.

It goes on to claim that a £12 million release clause was inserted in O’Brien’s contract, a fee that could entice multiple offers from his top-flight admirers.

And it’s easy to understand why the tough-tackling engine room operator is in such high demand when taking a closer look at his underlying numbers.

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As per WhoScored, O’Brien has been Huddersfield’s best performer this term, achieving a season rating of 7.09.

In his 31 Championship appearances, the 5 foot 8 ace has averaged 2.5 tackles, 1.1 key passes and two dribbles, placing him in the top two for each metric when compared to his teammates and highlighting why ex-boss Danny Crowley often lauded him as ‘like having two players’.

O’Brien has also contributed two goals and two assists in the second tier this term, playing a pivotal part in the Terriers’ rise to fifth-place in the Championship standings.

As a result, Jones has revealed that West Ham have started to keep close tabs on his development,