According to a report by The Sun, West Ham are preparing a £16m offer for Bournemouth attacker Joshua King.
The Norway international is out of contract in the summer, but rather than competing with a plethora of clubs to sign him on a Bosman this summer, West Ham are seemingly keen to jump the queue to land King.
The idea of spending £16m on a striker you could have for free in six month’s time does seem a little bit silly, but it has to be said that King could be exactly what West Ham need right now.
Jermain Defoe once described King as ‘brilliant’ when they were at Bournemouth together, and with West Ham still very much in the race for a European spot, they need a striker who can make an instant impact.
Yes, King isn’t as exciting a signing as someone like Youssef En-Nesyri who the Hammers have been strongly linked with lately, but he knows the league and he can come in and have an immediate impact on West Ham’s season, and there’s no guarantee that a striker from abroad could do that.
Of course, whether or not Bournemouth accept this offer remains to be seen, £16m is a lot of money, but promotion to the Premier League this season would be a lot more valuable than that.
This is certainly a situation to keep an eye on.
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