West Ham turn focus to powerful Serie A star in never-ending striker hunt
West Ham have added Fiorentina forward Dusan Vlahovic to their long list of strike targets, according to reports in Italy.
The Hammers sold Sebastien Haller to Ajax in January after a difficult 18-month spell. Haller struggled to justify his club-record price tag.
The club tried to find a replacement for him before the winter transfer window shut. However, despite links with a plethora of names, no transfer materialised.
David Moyes has since given insight into West Ham’s approach to their pursuit of a new striker. There continues to be a wide range of options mentioned.
Recently, there was talk of interest in Besiktas striker Cyle Larin. Reports suggested they had even seen an offer rejected in January.
On a more high-profile level, there have also been claims of a three-man shortlist, topped by Chelsea star Tammy Abraham.
Abraham has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge and could be considering his future. A move across London might make sense.
That shortlist also reportedly consisted of Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah and Brentford’s Ivan Toney. But now, a new name has emerged.
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According to Calciomercato, West Ham are interested in Vlahovic, who has established himself as a key player for Fiorentina.
Scouted by Arsenal when he was a teenager, Vlahovic has been a star in the making for some time. Now 21 years old, he has been making progress with Fiorentina.
After moving to Florence in 2018, he failed to score in his first season. However, he then enjoyed a breakthrough 2019-20 campaign, scoring eight goals in 34 games.
That may not seem like a hugely productive tally. However, it is worth considering that he only started 13 Serie A games, and still managed six goals in the competition. That puts into perspective the impact that Vlahovic was beginning to make.
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Vlahovic continues rapid rise
This season, he has developed further, being entrusted with 21 league starts so far and repaying the faith shown in him with nine goals.
The 6’3″ striker is under contract with the Viola until 2023. There has already been widespread interest in their star striker, though.
West Ham are the latest club to have joined the queue. The report from Calciomercato claims that they and Borussia Dortmund have entered the race to sign him.
It is not yet clear how much Fiorentina would be looking for to consider a sale.
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