West Ham have announced their intention to sign Neil Mellor from Liverpool on a one-year loan deal after losing Frederic Kanoute to Tottenham earlier in the week.
The young striker is highly regarded both inside and outside Anfield and a spell of first team action in the First Division may well be the catalyst needed to turn the 19-year-old into a regular for Liverpool.
For West Ham it would be a welcome acquisition considering the amount of talented players that have left Upton Park over the summer transfer period.
Hammers supporters have watched in horror as the club lost stars like Paolo Di Canio, Lee Bowyer, Les Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Trevor Sinclair, Frederic Kanoute and now Joe Cole since their relegation from the Premiership.
And behind the indignation at seeing the club's prize asset sold off to arch-rivals Chelsea is the belief that others like Jermain Defoe, David James and Michael Carrick are still likely to follow, while administration lurks just around the corner.
However West Ham's director, Trevor Brooking, has eased worries a little, confirming the intention to sign Mellor, citing his ability and attitude as worthwhile attributes to bring into the club.
"Neil is a very good player and lots of clubs tried to get him on loan last year," Brooking told www.liverpoolfc.tv. "Liverpool see him as one for the future and in the interim we hope he can help us."He has a good attitude and we hope he will do well as foil for Jermain Defoe and David Connolly."We need balance in the squad and I think David, Matthew Etherington, and Rob Lee - who played in this division and has an excellent attitude - will have a good influence".