West Ham, Southampton battling Celtic for twin wonderkids ahead of January window?

West Ham United and Southampton have reportedly entered the race to sign Airdrieonians duo Cole Williams and Dylan Williams.

The twin brothers are making waves in the youth stages of Scotland, with the 16-year-olds previously being on the books of top-tier giants Celtic.

Both midfielders, they have largely featured for Airdrie’s Under-18s side so far in the 2024-25 campaign, although they have both appeared three times on the bench for the first team in the Scottish Championship.

The Diamonds could do with some fearless youth in their XI considering their start to the term, with the club rock bottom of the second-tier table.

After experiencing another afternoon as unused substitutes, both Cole and Dylan will be looking to make their first starts this term when Airdrie welcome promotion-chasing Livingston to Albert Bartlett Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

West Ham, Southampton join race for Scottish twins?

According to The Sun, some serious contenders south of the Scottish border have entered the race for the services of Cole and Dylan Williams.

The report claims that Premier League duo West Ham and Southampton are keen on securing the signatures of the 16-year-olds in the near future.

Only agreeing to short-term deals at Airdrie in the Scottish Championship, the midfielders would be able to quit and move to England in January.

As well as the Saints and the Hammers, it is understood that Champions League-competing Celtic are also interested in signing the twin brothers.

However, the Premier League duo are supposedly leading the way for Cole and Dylan, who will be targeting a breakthrough into first-team football in the near future.

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Where should the twins go?

At the age of 16 and yet to earn regular spots in the Scottish Championship, it is safe to say that Cole and Dylan would not be turning out at the London Stadium or St Mary’s Stadium in January.

The acquisition of the midfielders would be signings for the academies of the Hammers and the Saints, with a view to feature in Premier League 2 at either Under-18 or Under-21 level.

Sat bottom of the Premier League standings, Southampton are more likely than West Ham to be playing in the Championship over the next few years, possibly providing more first-team opportunities for the Williams twins on the South coast.