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Deal agreed for West Ham's £12m striker target, but door open for Potter to land £17m ace…

By the time West Ham United have cash to splash – probably in the aftermath of Mohammed Kudus’ likely departure – it remains to be seen which, if any, striker options remain for the Premier League outfit.

In an ideal world, the Hammers would have triggered the £30 million release clause in Liam Delap’s contract at the beginning of June. Thus, ticking one major task off Kyle Macaulay’s transfer window to-do list right off the bat.

But, while Delap was encouraged to join West Ham over eventual employers Chelsea by a couple of pundits with his best interests at heart, it became pretty apparent from day one that this would be a summer in which new signings would have to be funded by prior departures.

Fortunately or rather damningly, depending on your perspective, West Ham are in talks to sell Mohammed Kudus to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The potential downfalls are as obvious as they are frightening. But, on a more positive note, a potential £60 million departure should open the door for West Ham United to finally go big on a number nine.

Though whether Mathias Kvistgaarden is still available, by the time Graham Potter finally has some money to play with, only time will tell.

Mathias Kvistgaarden of Brøndby IF celebrates after scoring

Photo by Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Mathias Kvistgaarden nears RC Lens move after West Ham United links

West Ham have been linked with ‘new Henrik Larsson’ Mathias Kvistgaarden on the back of his 23-goal season with Danish outfit Brondby.

Brondby expect to cash in on the Denmark international in the near future, though some in Scandinavia feel that a reported £12 million fee for Kvistgaarden would be ‘outrageous’ business – for all the wrong reasons.

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On Thursday afternoon, however, Danish publication Tipsbladet dropped a ‘bombshell’ of an update. A bombshell which could do further damage to a West Ham hitlist which has already been scrubbed of the aforementioned Delap.

They claim that Brondby have agreed a deal to sell Kvistgaarden to French side RC Lens. The Ligue 1 outfit feel they have done enough to secure the striker’s services, even if Lens are yet to reach an agreement on personal terms with Kvistgaarden’s camp.

Neither Tipsbladet nor Foot Mercato report on the fee Brondby are expected to receive, though it will certainly make Kvistgaarden their most expensive-ever export.

French site Foot Mercato back up the claims that a fee has been settled upon. Lens, then, appear on the verge of land another rising star with huge potential.

Lois Openda, Abdulkodir Khusanov, Elye Wahi, Sekou Fofana, Cheick Doucoure and Kevin Danso have already passed through the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, to name but a few.

Lucas Stassin celebrates during Scotland v Belgium in a UEFA U21 EURO 2025 Qualifier

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Hammers-linked Lucas Stassin is still available at St Etienne

So, presuming a deal is finalised, Kvistgaarden will join Liam Delap, Yuri Alberto, Thierno Barry, Emanuel Emegha and more in a growing collection of centre-forwards who appear to have slipped through Potter’s grasp.

Emegha is expected to join Delap at Chelsea. Villarreal hitman Thierno Barry is joining David Moyes at Everton. The prolific Jonathan David is leaving Lille for Juventus, meanwhile.

But it’s not all bad news.

While a club source has played down reports linking Lucas Stassin with a move to London, via Hammers News, the St Etienne starlet is one of relatively few striker targets still up for grabs even at this early stage of the summer.

Lucas Stassin was heavily linked with Lens himself a few weeks back. With Kvistgaarden now on the way to the 2023 Ligue 1 runners-up, West Ham may have been gifted a second shot at the Belgian Under-21 international.

Whether they take it, though, is anyone’s guess.

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