West Ham United may have been handed a boost in their long-running pursuit of a new centre-forward – by a familiar face no less.
It has been two months since the Hammers accepted a knock-down, £20 million bid from Ajax for Sebastien Haller.
And, while finding a replacement for the Frenchman proved easier said than done, David Moyes may have Haller to thank for pushing one of Europe’s most promising forwards towards the London Stadium.
Since returning to the Eredivisie in January, the former Utrecht talisman has waltzed straight into Erik ten Hag’s XI while barely breaking sweat.
And, with five goals and five assists in nine matches, Haller is already close to undroppable.
All the while, Lassina Traore has been forced to watch from the sidelines, his first-team prospects becoming ever more bleak with every bullet header slammed into the net by Ajax’s record signing.
Traore, who shot to fame with five goals and three assists in November’s infamous 13-0 shellacking of VVV Venlo, has been left on the bench for Ajax’s past five Eredivisie fixtures.
On Monday, he played the full 90 minutes as Ajax’s youth team was thrashed 5-1 by Excelsior in the second tier.
But rather than turn their nose up at Traore, West Ham should instead see this as an opportunity.
According to De Telegraaf, Traore’s wily movement and bullish, penalty-box presence caught their eye in January.
And, the longer the £20 million-rated youngster remains on the bench, the more confident West Ham will be of luring him from Amsterdam.
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