That West Ham need a new striker is perhaps one of the worst kept secrets in European football.
David Moyes currently only has Michail Antonio in the role, and despite efforts to sign someone in January, no one arrived.
So, for the time being, the Hammers are having to rely on the Jamaica international and Jarrod Bowen to find the back of the net, with hope that they can continue to shine between now and the end of the season.
West Ham currently sit fifth in the Premier League, equal on points with Arsenal but having played three more games, and their final position will surely determine, on the whole, the calibre of player they will be able to attract in the summer.
One player, however, who should still be willing to come to London Stadium regardless of where the Hammers finish is Lille’s Jonathan Bamba.
That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who claim the left-winger ‘is expected to take leave in June for about €20m’.
Seen as a ‘good profile for teams looking for a fast and powerful element’, Bamba ‘has remained in the summer notebook of various clubs’, which is when West Ham are named alongside Atalanta, Sevilla and Bayer Leverkusen.
In fact, the belief is he’ll be ‘spoiled for choice’, given that the valuations ‘do not exceed €15m’, with the Hammers firmly expected to be in the mix at that fee.
Even if it does edge towards €20m rather than €15m, it’s still a good deal for a player who scored six and assisted another 11 in 38 league appearances last season.
