West Ham United’s interest in Chivas Guadalajara striker Armando ‘Hormiga’ Gonzalez is being backed up in the Mexican press, albeit competition looms in the shape of Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.
It was initially reported a few weeks ago that West Ham had held talks with Gonzalez’s camp ahead of the January transfer window.
While the Mexico international opted to stay at Chivas in order to secure his spot in El Tri’s World Cup squad, a number of clubs are positioning themselves ahead of what is likely to be a hectic summer of multiple offers.
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Armando Gonzalez of Mexico, celebrates after scoring a goal during an international friendly match between Mexico and Iceland at La Corregidora Stadium on February 25, 2026 in Queretaro, Mexico.
Speaking on his Play It YouTube channel, reporter Alex Ramirez claims that West Ham United have been watching Gonzalez ‘for a long time’. No player under the age of 23 has more league goals than him this season; Gonzalez sitting ahead of Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal, a potential future teammate of his at the Camp Nou.
Ramirez also mentions AC Milan, Dortmund and Dutch giants Feyenoord.
Chivas striker Armando Gonzalez is a West Ham United target
“West Ham are following him closely, Armando Gonzalez,” he says. “But no proposal yet.
“The interest from other countries has grown much more due to Armando’s development. He has attracted the attention of teams like Borussia and, at one point, Barcelona, who were following him very closely.
Armando Gonzalez celebrates during Chivas v Santos Laguna - Torneo Clausura 2026 Liga MX
Photo by Emiliano Morales/Jam Media/Getty Images
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“With teams of this caliber involved, it attracts the attention of others who will also try to compete if the case arises.”
Gonzalez has a £15 million release clause in his Chivas contract, though there is a chance that a potential bidding war will see the Liga MX outfit bank a lot more for their star man.
Gonzalez’s father admits a move to Europe appeals, and his reputation could yet grow exponentially on the back of an impressive World Cup campaign partially on home soil.
‘Hormiga’, or The Ant, has scored 21 goals in 29 league matches in 2025/26.
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Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Feyenoord interested
“In Armando’s case, they assure us that Milan is one of the teams following him,” Ramirez adds.
“Hopefully, the opportunity will arise later. Right now, it’s simply monitoring. It’s observing his behaviour, the profile, his qualifications, and how much family influence affects career development.”
“Regarding Borussia, they also speak only of monitoring. That’s all.”
Interestingly, of the 12 Mexican footballers to play in the Premier League, a quarter of those represented West Ham. This includes Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, who mentored a young Gonzalez at Chivas prior to his departure in December.
The perennially-West Ham linked Santiago Gimenez moved to Europe with Feyenoord, meanwhile, before joining AC Milan.
“My source says [Feyenoord director] Dennis te Kloese is a very important man in all of this story,” Ramirez explains when the conversation turned to the Eredivisie giants. “Armando Gonzalez in the Netherlands, Dennis te Kloese has a lot to do with it.
“Feyenoord is one of the teams currently monitoring him.”
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