Player not given permission to speak to Hammers

Luke Thomas is not returning from Derby County’s training camp in Tenerife early to speak to West Ham, The Derby Telegraph claims this morning.

It has been reported by GloucestershireLive last night that the 19-year-old winger was flying home after being given permission to talk to the Hammers about a potential move to East London. However, this appears to be wide of the mark says the Derby Telegraph.

In May, reports claimed the Hammers had made a £1.2m bid for him and that they were closing in on a deal which was later played down by West Ham club insiders.

Thomas was named Derby’s young player of the year last season when his form for the under-23s earned him a place in the first-team squad. He made his senior debut when he came off the bench in the 2-0 home victory over Queens Park Rangers in October. Thomas joined Derby in January 2016 from Cheltenham for £25,000 and the club will reportedly receive a portion of any potential transfer fee