New West Ham signing Sead Haksabanovic was due to train with Slaven Bilic’s first-team squad on Tuesday, an immediate measure of the high hopes the club have of the 18-year-old from Montenegro.
Haksabanovic has joined West Ham on a five-year contract, following his £2.8million move from Swedish club Halmstads BK.
Although the Hammers see the youngster as one for the future, he could be in around the first-team squad as early as this season, such is his promise.
The midfielder made his first-team debut for Halmstads at the age of 15 and has already played more than 70 times for the Swedish first division club.
Last month, he won his first senior cap for Montenegro, the country of his father’s birth, in a 4-1 World Cup qualifier win over Armenia.
The teenager has already had trials at both Chelsea and Liverpool but it is West Ham who made the decision to sign him on a long-term deal.
Haksabanovic’s arrival continues a trend for West Ham of signing promising young players, following Toni Martinez joining from Spanish club Valencia, Portuguese youngster Domingos Quina coming from Chelsea and Nathan Holland from Everton.
In Pictures | West Ham's away kit for the 2017-18 season
West Ham kick off their campaign against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
