Moyes admits West Ham ‘ruled out’ of pursuit of unsettled Chelsea star
David Moyes has cast doubt on the chances of West Ham signing Tammy Abraham from Chelsea, claiming the striker may be out of their price range.
Abraham may be on the lookout for a new club this summer after falling out of favour at Chelsea. He remains their top scorer with 12 goals this season but has barely featured since Thomas Tuchel took charge. With West Ham searching for a new striker, they could be the ideal match.
The Hammers failed to sign a replacement after selling Sebastien Haller to Ajax in January. They were linked with several targets throughout the month but opted to wait until the summer.
When the next transfer window opens, they could have the chance to sign Abraham. Given how high up West Ham are set to finish, it wouldn’t represent too much of a step down and would allow him to stay in London.
But Moyes has denied that his side will be able to afford the England striker, who is valued at around £40m.
“It would rule us out completely. We will be ruled out,” Moyes said. “So if that’s the figure and that’s what’s being said, we are ruled out.
“We don’t have that money, we don’t have that to buy a striker at that price, no.
“Is that sort of figure our total spend? It may well be. But you never know here.
“I don’t think we will be making a purchase of that for any one player. I’d be surprised if we were.”
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That will come as a disappointment to West Ham fans, who may have been hoping to see Abraham in their colours next season.
They will still be linked with many more strikers to provide competition for Michail Antonio. But it appears they have a tighter budget to work with.
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West Ham eye €15m Bundesliga deal
One cheaper alternative to be mentioned recently was RB Leipzig forward Hwang Hee-Chan.
Hwang would be an interesting one to explore, as he can play anywhere across the front line and is approaching his prime years at the age of 25.
Usually deployed as a centre-forward, the South Korean has struggled for gametime in his debut season with Leipzig. In fact, he has only made one start in the Bundesliga and is yet to score despite a further 14 substitute appearances.
His fate has been slightly better in the German cup, in which he has scored twice from three appearances. But it seems his days with Leipzig are numbered.
The Bundesliga giants are looking to trim their squad and Hwang may have to make way. If he does, the Premier League could be his next destination.
According to Sport1, West Ham and Everton are interested in the former Salzburg striker. Leipzig want to gain €15m by selling him and both English clubs are eager for the deal to be a permanent one as well.
Hwang was not permitted to leave Leipzig in January, when Everton and West Ham showed an initial interest. The situation has changed and now they could have their chance.
Nicknamed ‘the Bull’ due to his aggressive style of play, he remains under contract until 2025. However, Leipzig seem to be willing to get rid of him.
READ MORE: West Ham hunt deal for Premier League striker; Moyes a massive fan