Josh King has confirmed that Bournemouth rejected a bid from West Ham United for his services while opening up on his future at Everton, while speaking to TV2.
After selling Sebastian Haller to Ajax at a knock-down fee, the Hammers have been searching high and low for an adaptable, hard-running forward more suited to David Moyes’ lone-striker system at the London Stadium.
And King, a proven Premier League goal-scorer equally comfortable through the middle or out wide, certainly feels like a good fit.
The Guardian, however, reports that West Ham had a £13 million bid rejected in October.
Bournemouth were demanding closer to £17.5 million at the time. There was understandable confusion, then, when the Cherries accepted a knockdown offer of £5 million when Everton came calling for the Norway international just weeks later.
“I did not have any “beef” with Bournemouth because of what happened. When I returned (from a summer holiday), they declined a bid from West Ham. Then they called me on Deadline Day and said they would loan me,” King explained.
“I had some difficulty understanding why they went from saying no to two bids, to suddenly letting me go on loan. I think that is a question I never get an answer to.”
King, who has made no secret of his frustration after failing to secure a dream return to Manchester United in January 2020, is yet to score in 11 Premier League games for Everton, although most of those have been fleeting cameo appearances off the bench.
In keeping with what has been a head-scratching transfer saga, the Oslo-born 29-year-old will be a free agent in a matter of weeks.
Why Everton were willing to pay £5 million for a striker, only to release him four months later, is anyone’s guess.
“We’ll see,” King said when asked if he could sign a new deal at Goodison Park.
“I have some choices to make, both with the family and representatives.
“We’ll see what happens this summer, I have not signed anything yet. I’m free for the summer, so I have several options, but I have to think carefully about what I actually choose to go to.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
