West Ham United are refusing to pay over the odds for Genk striker Paul Onuachu and have no plans to meet their £25 million price tag, as reported by Own Goal Nigeria.
The Hammers may still be searching high and low for a striker capable of replacing a man who left the London Stadium six months ago. But don’t make the mistake of assuming the club will throw a truckload of money at the problem in the hope it goes away.
This is a more controlled club these days.
West Ham have stood firm in their valuations of Adam Armstrong and Youssef En-Nesyri – and it seems they have taken a similar stance during their pursuit of 6ft 7in Onuachu.
The Nigeria international scored a career-best 35 goals in all competitions last season, firing Genk to second in the Jupiler League.
But, at 27, Onuachu has never played in anything resembling a major European league and it’s fair to say players signed from Belgian football have endured a tough time in England of late.
Aston Villa paid a combined £42 million for Wesley Moraes, Mbwana Samatta and Marvelous Nakamba and have seen little return on that substantial investment.
Paul Onuachu price tag could mean he misses out on West Ham move
Acording to reports in his native Nigeria, Gent want up to £25 million for the want-away Onuachu.
After holding talks with the target man’s agent, however, West Ham have made it clear they are unwilling to pay more than £15 million.
Given that West Ham have cast their net far and wide in search of a Sebastien Haller successor, you’d think they would have no problems scrubbing Onuachu’s name off a long list before moving on to someone new.
Own Goal Nigeria says West Ham are threatening to scrap the deal entirely unless Genk soften their stance.
Onuachu has also been linked with Watford and Arsenal.
Rumours of Arsenal’s interest may, however, stem from the fact Onuachu recently expressed his admiration for the Gunners rather than anything more concrete.
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