West Ham United have made a £25 million bid to sign a striker who they once tried to capture for ex-boss David Moyes, with Julen Lopetegui's side now receiving a reply to their latest offer.
Tim Steidten eyeing new striker for West Ham in January
Hammers technical director Tim Steidten is tasked with leading their pursuit of a fresh centre-forward option next month.
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[West Ham could attempt January deal for "tailor-made" £60m striker](https://www.footballfancast.com/west-ham-could-attempt-january-deal-for-brighton-evan-ferguson/ "West Ham could attempt January deal for "tailor-made" £60m striker")
The Hammers need a prolific alternative to Danny Ings and Niclas Fullkrug.
Michail Antonio is set to be out for the foreseeable future after his horrific car crash near the start of December, while summer signing Niclas Fullkrug has bagged just one goal in all competitions so far, owing to his persistent achilles tendon problem which kept him sidelined for nearly three months.
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Lopetegui's lack of faith in Danny Ings means that he's been forced to turn towards winger Jarrod Bowen as a makeshift striker option, with the England international scoring West Ham's 'El Sackico' winner against Wolves and ultimately helping to save his manager's job.
However, West Ham don't plan on sticking with Bowen in that role, and reports suggest they're firmly on the hunt for a new striker. The club have been tipped to bring in a fresh option in that area for quite some time, with West Ham's former scout Mick Brown telling Football Insider that they were after a striker as far back as October.
“When you think about clubs that need a striker, there are a few of those in the Premier League, and he’d be a worthwhile contender," said Brown on West Ham's previous links with Greece star Vangelis Pavlidis.
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"I know clubs have been having close looks since before he moved to Benfica.
"From what I know the likes of West Ham are looking for a striker, and have looked at him before. I’ve also heard that that interest could still be there, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see their name in the running if he is to move again.”
Brighton star Evan Ferguson is a rumoured striker target for West Ham also, and it is believed they've reignited their interest in Corinthians forward Yuri Alberto.
Corinthians reply as West Ham make £25 million bid for Yuri Alberto
The Brazilian has just secured his country's Golden Boot award after a phenomenal 2024 campaign, where he bagged 31 goals in all competitions, and he's a long-time target for West Ham.
Corinthians president Duilio Monteiro Alves confirmed that he rejected a £13 million offer from the east London club last year when Moyes was in the dugout, but that hasn't stopped them from trying their luck yet again.
Yuri Alberto
According to South American journalist Neto, via Sport Witness and Soutimao, West Ham have made another offer to Corinthians for Alberto.
They've apparently tabled a £25 million bid for his services, but president Alves has yet again rejected their advances. As a result, a transfer away for the 23-year-old looks more likely to be in the summer rather than January.
“I had said that he (Yuri Alberto) would be sold for £25m to West Ham, but that will no longer happen, because he will stay until the July 2025 window,” said Neto.
“Corinthians received an offer of €30m, but did not want to sell Yuri Alberto at that moment.”