Potter fights Brighton over 24-goal striker – Fabrizio Romano

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 15 Jan 2025 02:14 CST
• 3 min read

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that West Ham and Brighton are locked to sign a promising young striker from Scottish Premiership side Celtic.

New Hammers boss Graham Potter is set to go head-to-head in the transfer market against his former club in a battle to sign Daniel Cummings from the Scottish champions, with both West Ham and Brighton in the hunt for additional firepower this January.

Romano has revealed the interest of both Premier League clubs in the teenager, who is regarded as one for the future and would be unlikely to see first-team action were he to sign for either team.

He reports via X: “West Ham and Brighton are both keen on signing 18-year-old Celtic striker Daniel Cummings, with Celtic pushing for him to stay and sign new deal.

“24 goals in 24 games this season for Cummings, out of contract in summer 2025.”

Ignored by Celtic

Cummings, who will turn 19 in April, has long been linked with a move away from Celtic, with Premier League sides regularly taking an interest in him.

A move could be fuelled by the fact that he has been regularly overlooked by manager Brendan Rodgers with regards the possibility of first-team football. Cummings yet to make his debut for the Hoops, and while he was involved in the 3-3 draw against Dundee on Tuesday as an unused substitute, that he has been consigned to playing in the fifth tier of Scottish football with the Celtic B team does not reflect positively on the Parkhead club.

Indeed, the Scottish champions have been notoriously poor at promoting young Scottish talent through their ranks so the possibility of moving to a Premier League club is doubtless an attractive prospect.

Brighton have become famed for their talent development in recent years, which was a process started by new West Ham manager Potter, who could use Cummings as the start of a similar project at the London Stadium.