West Ham are pushing hard to secure the signature of Lille forward Jonathan David, according to reports in Spain.
Calatan newspaper Sport names the Hammers as the club who have tried their best to snap up the Canadian international, having tabled an “important offer” to the player.
However, David does not see the London Stadium as his no.1 destination and he is keen to receive a proposal from one of his favoured teams.
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It was reported by EXWHUEmployee last week that Barca are “huge admirers” of the striker, along with Arsenal, but Sport say that the La Liga side have yet to signal their interest.
David can sign a pre-contract agreement
As the striker is inside the last six months of his contract, he can openly speak to clubs outside of France about a free transfer at the end of the season.
After scoring 23 goals in all competitions this campaign, David will be in demand and it appears West Ham remain in the race for the player but you do wonder whether it is worth the effort, considering his reluctance to make the switch.
Graham Potter’s side have reportedly ended their interest in David’s teammate Angel Gomes for similar reasons.
Are West Ham looking at alternative targets?
The No.9 position will be a key area to strengthen during the summer transfer window, and if David doesn’t make the move, the club will look at other options.
Over the past few weeks, the Hammers have been linked with several forwards, including Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, Roma’s Tammy Abraham, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha and Mainz’s Jonathan Burkardt.
All five would be more difficult to secure than David due to the costs involved and interest from other teams. That may be why they are persisting with the Canadian for now.
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