West Ham are reportedly close to confirming the season-long loan deal for Argentine youngster Manuel Lanzini after the 22-year-old agreed terms and completed a medical. The skillful attacking midfielder will be ariving from UAE side Al Jazira, where he has been playing since leaving River Plate in 2014 but looks set to be part of Slaven Bilic’s new-look Hammers side.

All that is remaining is some of the paperwork to confirm the arrival of Lanzini to West Ham following a successful medical. The 22-year-old will be Slaven Bilic’s seventh summer signing ahead of a season where big things are expected from the ambitious East London club.

Last season Lanzini scored eight goals in 24 appearances to help Al Jazira Club finish second in the Arabian Gulf League but the move was always likely to be a springboard to one of Europe’s top leagues. Whilst at River Plate, Lanzini was a very highly rated talent but also inconsistent and although his departure from the Monumental was always expected, it came as a surprise when it was for the UAE.

For much of his career, Lanzini was courted by some of Europe’s biggest sides and in spite of his inconsistencies he showed plenty of potential. The diminuitive number ten has great close control and has the ability to drift past defenders making him ideal to play in that area just behind the strikers. A creative player but one who can arrive late to score goals, it is easy to see why River had hoped he would be the new Pablo Aimar when he burst onto the scene.

Like all Argentine clubs River depend on the sale of players to balance the books and so when Al-Jazira offered $10 million it could not be turned down.

With West Ham sealing a loan-deal with the option to make this permanent it is reasonable to suggest that they would need to pay somewhere near this figure. Given that he has not been at Al-Jazira long and for West Ham to want to sign him on a longer contract he will have impressed in England.

Lanzini is unquestionably talented but he must now make the leap to Premier League football. The pace and physicality may come as a surprise to such a slight player like Lanzini and Bilic may need to be patient. It is a huge test but one which Lanzini and most of us who watched him at River felt he needed before leaving for UAE.