West Ham United could sign Torino striker Andrea Belotti this summer – and ex-Hammer Toni Martinez is now being lined up to replace him.
West Ham clearly need to find a new striker this summer as they look to give Michail Antonio more support in attack.
One prime target appears to be Belotti amid strong rumours in Italy about West Ham’s interest.
Tuttomercatoweb reported earlier this month that West Ham were one of the final candidates in the race for Belotti.
The report noted that Inter Milan, Roma, Atalanta and Fiorentina are the Italian clubs in the race for Belotti.
It’s added that Newcastle and Torino were alongside West Ham as the main options outside of Serie A.
Out of contract this summer, Belotti – compared to Jamie Vardy – is bound to be a man in demand.
The 28-year-old has smashed 110 goals and 28 assists in 247 games for Torino whilst becoming a regular international for Italy.
Belotti will be a very appealing free transfer, especially for a club like West Ham as they target another goalscorer.
Torino have seemingly given up hope of keeping Belotti now and are targeting a potential replacement.
TMW note that Torino are now looking to snap up striker Toni Martinez – a player West Ham fans know very well.
Martinez joined West Ham from Valencia back in 2016 and was backed for first-team stardom in the future.
Martinez never made his Premier League debut though, and after disappointing loans with Oxford United, Real Valladolid, Rayo Majadahonda and CD Lugo, Martinez was released by West Ham in 2019.
Portuguese side Famalicao took a punt on Martinez and he thrived, scoring 14 times in 38 games.
Porto swooped in 2020, and he has managed 15 goals in 62 outings for the Portuguese giants.
Torino now see Martinez as a potential addition, with a deal worth up to £8.5million now in the pipeline.
It would be quite the turn of events for Belotti to join West Ham and ex-Hammer Martinez to replace him, but it could really happen this summer.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
