West Ham United have made Luuk de Jong an offer to leave Sevilla, but Barcelona have also been offered the striker as Ronald Koeman targets late signings, according to Sport.
Sevilla are working to sell De Jong before the August 31 deadline as his inconstant form has disappointed the Nervionenses hierarchy. The Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium side signed the Dutchman from PSV Eindhoven in 2019, but he has only scored 19 goals in 94 games.
De Jong now faces a fraught week as Sevilla strive to make back most of the €15m (£13m) they spent. The La Liga outfit no longer feel they need 30-year-old after paying Wolves €16m (£14m) for Rafa Mir last week.
Sevilla expect the market to come alive for De Jong in the final days, after already receiving an offer from West Ham. PSV could also explore the 38-cap Netherlands international returning to the Philips Stadion, where he scored 112 in 204 appearances.
West Ham could also face competition from Barcelona, after Ronald Koeman was offered a chance to sign De Jong. The Camp Nou boss demands Barca sign a striker before the deadline, and is looking for a cheap solution given the Catalan outfit’s financial troubles.
De Jong is also the sort of striker that Koeman is after and knows his compatriot personally. Although Barcelona are yet to move, and any pursuit may only be a loan given his record in La Liga. Camp Nou chiefs have multiple doubts over his suitability, having scored four in 34 top-flight games last season, without assisting.
Sport do not claim the terms of West Ham’s offer to De Jong, who 90min cited as a target.
Should West Ham sign De Jong from Sevilla before Barcelona move?
West Ham will want to sign a striker before the market closes to finally replace Sebastien Haller. But David Moyes, like the Barcelona hierarchy, should question if De Jong is the right option to come in and rival Michail Antonio at the London Stadium.
De Jong can offer West Ham a hold-up type of striker for Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen to build off. But the Dutchman is unlikely to offer the number of goals Moyes will need if he is ever without Antonio. And the Irons cannot be sure Antonio will stay fit for the full term.
De Jong has now failed to prove himself in a third county outside of the Netherlands. Along with struggling at Sevilla, he scored just eight in 45 games for Borussia Monchengladbach. He also failed to score in 12 games for Newcastle during a half-season loan in 2013/14.
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