LIVE
...

Follow us on

Soccer Transfer News

Report: West Ham have new striker target; £21m star playing at Moyes’ old club

Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United FC via Getty Images
Follow us on Google Discover
Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Real Sociedad’s Willian Jose is the latest striker to be linked with a move to West Ham United but, speaking to El Diario Vasco, coach Imanol Alguacil has played down the ‘rumours’.

It seems that, with every hour that goes by, a new striker is being tipped to join David Moyes’ Premier League high-flyers.

Yesterday, it was Youssef En-Nesyri.

Today, another La Liga target man has emerged onto the scene, with Marca claiming that 29-year-old Brazilian Willian Jose is one of the many names on a West Ham hit list longer than the Bayeux Tapestry.

The one-time Real Madrid youngster has not exactly set the world alight at San Sebastian this season, however.

With just four goals in 20 matches – ten less than Sevilla star En-Nesyri – Jose is a long way short of the form that saw him break the 20-goal barrier back in the 2017/18 season.

According to Alguacil, such speculation should be taken with a pinch of salt anyway.

Willian Jose Da Silva of Real Sociedad reacts during the La Liga match between Real Sociedad and Valencia CF at Estadio Anoeta on September 29, 2018 in San Sebastian, Spain. (Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

“I don’t like talking about these things because I think they are more rumours than things that are happening,” said the Sociedad player-turned-coach when asked about Willian Jose’s future.

“In that sense, (I have) nothing to say.”

12 months ago, Willian Jose pushed unsuccessfully for a move to Tottenham Hotspur. Jose Mourinho had identified this 6ft 2ins, bull of a striker as his number one January target, though a £10 million bid fell well short of La Real’s £21 million asking price (Guardian).

It remains to be seen, a year on, whether West Ham are willing to pay a substantial sum for the out-of-form 29-year-old.

Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images