West Ham ‘looking closely’ at Villarreal striker but many obstacles remain

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Reports claim West Ham United have added Villarreal’s Paco Alcacer to their wish list for this summer’s recruitment drive.

The Hammers have enjoyed a superb season to date and have a real chance of finishing in the top four. And they have done it despite the winter exit of Sebastien Haller to Ajax. Jesse Lingard was brought in on loan and has worked wonders for David Moyes. But it is inevitable that the Scot will want more firepower heading into 2021-2022.

And they are said to be ‘looking closely’ at Alcacer, according to Fichajes.net (via Sport Witness). The 27-year-old began his career at Valencia.

After scoring 43 goals from 124 appearances in all competitions, he moved to Barcelona in the summer of 2016.

Having netted 15 times from 50 outings, the Spain international signed a one-year loan deal with Borussia Dortmund. That soon became permanent as Alcacer signed on for five years.

However, Villarreal spent €25m to take him to Estadio de la Ceramica in January 2020. He has 10 goals this term – five in La Liga and the same number in the Europa League.

He is not prolific but Moyes is said to be a fan of the forward. But so is Villarreal boss Unai Emery who ‘would not be too happy’ to have the player ‘snatched’ from him.

His contract situation is another stumbling block, as he is tied to The Yellow Submarine until 2025. That, according to the report, makes his exit ‘more complicated’ after this season.

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Alcacer perfect for West Ham’s Euro adventure

It seems highly likely that West Ham will be playing European football next term. With seven games to go, Moyes’ charges are fourth in the standings and holding off all challenges at present.

There are some big clubs snapping at their heels, however, and a Champions League spot is by no means assured. Whether it is Europe’s elite club competition or the Europa League, Alcacer would lend considerable experience.

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He has played 38 times in European competitions, scoring 14 times. According to Fichajes.net, Villarreal would not listen to any bids less than €25m.

Once that figure has been reached, they would be ‘willing to negotiate’. Another option is Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri, who was a winter target for the Hammers.

They were heavily linked in January and were happy to double his wages. But the Moroccan stayed in Spain to see out the season.

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