The stunning bargain transfer raid West Ham must beat Wolves and Crystal Palace to this summer

Have you heard of Juan Miranda? You might have, to be fair; he’s an impressively agile, forward-thinking left-back who is currently on the books at Real Betis, and who has one senior Spain cap to his name. He even scored in that solitary appearance for his country, giving him a David Nugent-esque 100% international strike record. Not too shabby.

But even if you personally haven’t, Lionel Messi has heard of Juan Miranda. He’s even trained alongside him. Said some fairly nice words about him too. You see, prior to rocking up in Andalusia, Miranda was a prospect of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy for several years, rising up through the ranks of the youth system before amassing a handful of first team appearances and embarking on a couple of loan stints that culminated in a permanent transfer to Betis.

This summer, he could be on the move again. The 24-year-old is out of contract at the Estadio Benito Villamarín in June, and according to Jose Miguel Lopez Catalan, Betis’ vice president, he is yet to ink a fresh extension with his current employers, despite their best efforts.

Speaking in December, Catalan said: “So far there have been proposals for renewal. But for some reason, sporting or economic, we have not been able to reach that agreement. He is a player who obviously attracts other clubs.

“Yes, he talks about Milan, Dortmund or other Spanish teams. Anything can happen. We could find an agreement and renew for many years, or a huge offer could come to him with a salary double or triple what he has here. The relationship with his family and with his agent is very good. It is not a tense relationship, but the problem is not just the signing bonus, which can go to the player or the agent, it is the salary.”

But despite Miranda garnering interest from Italy, Germany, and Spain, it would appear that he also has a lengthy queue of potential suitors monitoring his precarious situation from England too. According to HITC, Brentford, Crystal Palace, and Wolves are all casting beady eyes over the full-back, as are West Ham, who had scouts in attendance to watch his goal-scoring, man of the match display against Celta Vigo over the weekend.

Indeed, it is understood that the Hammers have been keeping tabs on Miranda since the turn of the year, and that they are considering the prospect of a ‘bargain’ swoop for a player who could be available on a free transfer in a matter of months.

Certainly, it is easy to see the appeal. While Emerson Palmieri has impressed this season, West Ham are still likely to seek out a long-term replacement for the 34-year-old Aaron Cresswell sooner rather than later, and it is not often that left-backs of Miranda’s ilk become readily poachable for nothing.

Of course, the jostling for his signature will be fierce, and to fend off the likes of AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund would be quite the feat. That being said, the Premier League has its charms, and there is no reason to believe that West Ham, with their continental ambitions and their behemoth of a stadium, couldn’t tempt the Spaniard ahead of a Crystal Palace or a Wolves. If they can, they could nab themselves one of the steals of the summer.