West Ham United have reportedly decided to put their pursuit of Moussa Marega on the back burner for the time-being.
Manuel Pellegrini has enjoyed a superb window at the London Stadium. The Irons’ squad looks significantly stronger than the side that spent much of last season being included in the relegation discussion in the Premier League.
If there was one concern, it is perhaps that the Hammers probably do not have a huge amount of depth up front right now. And it appears that Marega was one player that the club were considering bringing in to help address that issue.
The Daily Mail reports that West Ham held talks regarding a move for the Porto striker, who scored 23 goals in 38 games in all competitions last season in what was his first full campaign in the side.
However, the Mail adds that the Hammers have decided that the 27-year-old is too expensive right now and have halted their pursuit for the time-being. Another recent report from the Mail suggested that the Mali international is rated at £22 million.
Marega’s record in Portugal suggests he could prove to be a success with the Hammers. He was impressive with Porto last term and his league record throughout his career is better than a goal every three games.
However, it is perhaps something of a gamble to meet Porto’s potential asking price off the back of one particularly good season when many of the others have not quite hit the same heights.
Marko Arnautovic’s pre-season form suggests that West Ham may be able to get away with not signing another striker unless the perfect target emerges. And it appears, for the time-being, that Pellegrini is not convinced that Marega is the man to prove a game-changing signing for the Irons.
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