West Ham must act urgently and offer a recent signing in exchange for Viktor Gyokeres in order to save their hopes of a deal.
West Ham have been heavily linked with a move for Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres in the summer transfer window.
Earlier this month we reported on Hammers News that Sweden star Gyokeres had sent a come and get me plea amid the West Ham interest.
But we also warned that reported secret talks with Portuguese side Sporting should be a concern for David Moyes.
Particularly given the West Ham boss has spent a lot of time doing his homework on the all-action forward with The Sun claiming the Scot has personally attended several Coventry games to run the rule over Gyokeres.
West Ham must act urgently and offer recent signing in exchange for Viktor Gyokeres in order to save deal hopes
Well it seems that we were right to raise the alarm over those Sporting talks.
Because earlier today Record (print edition June 29th, page 8), reported Sporting are close to signing the 25-year-old from Coventry for just €20 million (£17.3 million).
So now the pressure is on if West Ham want to rescue their chances of signing a player in the mould of Marko Arnautovic who is seen as the perfect replacement for Michail Antonio.
West Ham must act urgently and offer a recent signing in exchange for Gyokeres in order to save their deal hopes.
With the club staring at potential relegation in January and struggling to score goals, Moyes signed Danny Ings from Aston Villa for a fee that could eventually reach £15 million.
Ings the latest striker to struggle in Moyes’ system – Hammers need an all-action hero
Ings has struggled to adapt to playing up front on his own in a Moyes side. There have been the odd flashes – such as an excellent brief cameo in the Europa Conference League semi-final at AZ Alkmaar.
But when given a proper chance he has done little to dispel fears he may be something of a spent force at Premier League level.
The move has not worked out thus far. And the forward, who turns 31 next month, openly admitted recently that had struggled to fully settled at the London Stadium.
Claret and Hugh – a website with close links to West Ham majority stakeholder David Sullivan – have suggested Ings is likely to leave the club this summer.
Send to Coventry
If West Ham want to get back to competing in the higher reaches of the Premier League they need young, talented, powerful players like Gyokeres, not players who have seen better days.
So West Ham should offer Ings to Coventry as part of a deal to try and sign Gyokeres.
It would soften the blow for Coventry, who would be getting a player more than capable of leading the Championship scoring charts and a promotion charge.
Even if it was an initial season-long loan with the option to buy – or obligation should Coventry get promoted – it would make sense for all parties.
And it would be worth West Ham’s while if it helped secure Gyokeres – even if they have to subsidise a big chunk of Ings’ wages for the season.
Ings is at a stage of his career where he can really carve out a niche for himself as the go-to striker for clubs looking to get promoted.
West Ham must take advantage of that fact and pounce while they still have a chance.
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