According to reports, Gianfranco Zola is angling to compensate for the loss of Craig Bellamy by snapping up Savio Nsereko from Serie B club Brescia for a fee of £10 million.

Hammers fans, who have spent the last several months reading headlines about their club suffering financial collapse, will no doubt be surprised back by claims that they have such funds available for new recruits.

If the rumours are to be believed, West Ham appear not only to have escaped the financial dire straits which many forecasted, but in fact find themselves laying foundations for the future by trying to unearth the next diamond in the rough from which to kick-on.

Nevertheless, £10 million for Savio Nsereko, a 19-year-old forward who plays in the second tier of Italian football, will still come as a shock to many.

Born in Uganda, Savio started his career in Germany with 1860 Munich before joining Brescia in 2005. His big break arrived while playing for the German Under-19 team at last summer’s European Championships in the Czech Republic, where he won the award for most valuable player.

Since then, interest has been growing from all quarters, with Napoli, Liverpool, and AC Milan all reported to have taken note in Savio’s development.

According to Savio’s agent Patrick Bastianelli, ”There are a few clubs currently knocking on the door and asking about his situation and West Ham is one of them. We have not started negotiations yet. The former general manager of Brescia, Gianluca Nani, now works at West Ham and therefore he knows him...He is concentrating on Brescia at the moment, but you cannot rule anything out in football.”

After a slow start to the current Serie B season, the young attacker has now claimed a regular berth in the Brescia team and helped them rise to third in the table. Leading the line with his blistering pace and excellent right foot, Savio has claimed a modest three goals in 17 appearances so far this term.

However, not all signs of Savio's development are encouraging, and his temperament is a cause for concern. Savio not only missed the final of the Under-19 European Championship due to suspension, but in the last two seasons in Serie B, he had picked up an unhealthy seven bookings in just 22 appearances.

Video evidence of Savio Nsereko can be seen here and here.