West Ham United are ready to make a €12m move for Montpellier striker Gaëtan Laborde in January but could face competition from Newcastle United for his signature.
That’s according to L’Equipe, who claim that the Hammers were keen on the French striker in the summer transfer window as well.
Laborde has been in excellent form for the Ligue 1 side this season, with three goals and five assists in 12 games in all competitions so far.
That form has seemingly not gone unnoticed across the channel, with L’Equipe stating that West Ham ‘want to attract’ the striker to the London Stadium in the winter transfer window.
Montpellier are naturally against losing their star striker, but their need for money given the COVID-19 pandemic and the Mediapro issue in France could force their hand.
That’s where West Ham come in, with them ready to offer ‘around €12m plus bonuses’ to secure the 26-year-old’s signature.
They were interested in the summer, and such a sum would leave ‘nobody indifferent’, particularly the striker, whose net pay in England would be equal to his gross pay in France.
There are other suitors, though, with another Premier League side, Newcastle, also having shown interest.
L’Equipe state ‘intermediaries’ close to the club – we’re assuming the ones who’ve taken numerous French players to Newcastle over the years – have ‘sounded out’ the player’s entourage.
Zenit St Petersburg are also interested, but it is West Ham who are seemingly in front, with it believed they could ‘strike a big blow’ early in the January transfer window.
