After being turned down by Jonathan David and ruled out of the running for Liam Delap, West Ham have finally found a striker who wants to join them.
West Ham fans make sure you are sitting down, because there is some good news out of the club five weeks out from the opening of the summer transfer window.
Yes Hammers supporters, you did just read that correctly – GOOD news regarding West Ham United.
It has been in short supply of late with a constant stream of negative stories – many emerging from club insiders and journalists who count board members as close contacts.
West Ham have reportedly been turned down by a host of targets already ahead of Graham Potter’s big summer rebuild.
West Ham striker search finally bears fruit?
Jonathan David always looked like an unrealistic pipedream.
It was nevertheless talked up by a number of Hammers sites ad nauseum.
Hammers News insisted from the start any chance of signing David was complete pie in the sky – with the Canada forward making it clear himself on several occasions he will be joining a team playing in the Champions League.
Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, a striker Dave and Jack Sullivan have been raving about to their majority owner dad David Sullivan, looked a more realistic prospect.
Especially with a £30m release clause making him a relative bargain by modern terms.
Credit: Getty Images/Diogo Cardoso/James Gill/Gabriel Aponte/Omar Vega/Danehouse.
However, a dearth of striker talent across Europe means Delap is highly sought after elsewhere with Man United, Newcastle and Chelsea locked in a three-way battle.
With £125k per week flop Danny Ings leaving when his contract expires at the end of the season and 35-year-old Michail Antonio also out of contract as things stand, it is imperative West Ham sign at least one – if not two – new strikers this summer.
A number have already been linked such as Samu Omorodion. And West Ham even confirmed they made a genuine £57m bid for Jhon Duran in January before he joined Al-Nassr.
West Ham agree terms for first signing as striker says ‘Yes’
Emanuel Emegha of Strasbourg is another in West Ham’s sights.
But as long as Chelsea and the Ligue 1 side – both owned by BlueCo – don’t qualify for the same UEFA competition, the towering young Dutchman looks set for a move to Stamford Bridge.
Failing that, Emegha is also interesting Champions League bound Newcastle, who he is reportedly keen to join.
After a spate of bad news out of east London, there’s something positive heading into the weekend.
Because West Ham have agreed terms for their first summer signing as a striker says ‘Yes’ to a move claims a Times journalist.
And it is a name West Ham fans will recognise as a target from previous windows – Yuri Alberto.
According to bolt from the blue from Times journalist Gary Jacob, the Hammers have agreed personal terms with Alberto, the pacy 24-year-old Corinthians striker.
West Ham have been linked with Yuri Alberto for quite some time now, most recently just last month.
Alberto’s agent Andre Cury recently told Ge Globo that he had received an offer from West Ham for a summer move.
“Every player who is in South America thinks of playing in Europe and with Yuri is no different. If there is a good opportunity that is good for him and for the club, we will talk,” he said.
Times journalist claims West Ham agree terms with Alberto
Now Jacob claims terms have been agreed for the move – it seems all that remains is for a fee to be agreed with Corinthians.
Although Hammers fans know from experience, that is usually the hardest task when it comes to their club in the transfer market.
The one-time capped Brazil striker has scored 106 goals in 303 games for club and country – including that solitary appearance for his national side.
Alberto has five goals and one assist in 12 games so far this Brazilian season – which runs during the calendar year, starting in January.
Alberto’s former Internacional coach David Aguirre previously raved about the Hammers target, labelling him as ‘spectacular’ – as reported by Torcedores.
Luis Guilherme has struggled to step up to Premier League level – albeit with few chances. So there will be question marks over another signing from the Brazilian league.
But Alberto does have some experience of playing in Europe, as he made 15 appearances for Russian side Zenit Saint Petersburg, scoring six goals and laying on four assists.
