You have to know when to give in graciously, and for West Ham that time is now.
It’s been public for so long that it feels like a long running soap opera, but everyone who is anyone connected with football, knows that West Ham are looking for a decent striker – maybe two.
Alexandre Lacazette of Lyon appears to have become the number one choice for the hierarchy at the club, but it appears that their focus will now need to shift.
We are all aware of ‘the list’ of strikers the club have, but when you offer £31m and Lyon knock it back, to weigh up another offer when fellow Ligue 1 outfit PSG could pay upwards of £40m would be mad.
The French champions have a long-held interest in the 24-year-old Lyon striker and have made their first move to sign him.
Whilst there are other very good, international standard strikers available for about the same money and in some cases less, it’s time to move on. If the player wanted to come to West Ham, we wouldn’t be having this song and dance and so, but whilst he dallies it shows the claret and blue faithful that he’s not that bothered. Who needs a player whose heart isn’t in a move?
Down in east London, there is a striker chaos – of sorts. Suddenly, Andy Carroll weighed in with a few goals towards the end of the season, most notably the hat-trick against Arsenal. If he can stay fit, and as he isn’t on England’s radar he’ll have the time to recuperate, maybe Bilic will keep this old-fashioned battering ram of a striker. The confusion he causes in opponents defence is priceless and for a big man, his footwork is really rather good.
Emmanuel Emenike has gone back to Fenerbahce after an unsuccessful six month loan move. His two goals in one game against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup was all that he could manage in nine starts and there is a half hearted look of surprise when Diafra Sakho is mentioned as a want away player.
Sakho plunged his West Ham future into doubt when he pulled out of the matchday squad for the game against Arsenal in April, effectively handing his place to Andy Carroll.
The striker posted a foul-mouthed message on Snapchat in the early hours of the Saturday after withdrawing from the squad. A source close to the player insisted it was not aimed at West Ham, but the 26-year-old had to explain his actions to manager Bilic.
Despite Bilic favouring Sakho as his first choice front man, due mainly to the fact that he fitted perfectly into the boss’ style of play, West Ham lost the forward with injury in January. Once he returned to action, doubts remained over the player that many thought would be pivotal to West Ham’s challenge for honours next season.
If Sakho left, that would leave just Carroll and Elliot Lee up front, because it appears that the Irons are willing to listen to offers for the remaining striker, Enner Valencia.
It’s claimed that attacker Valencia, 26, is ‘angry’ at being one of the club’s lowest-paid players on £20,000-a-week, and wants to earn more money by joining a rival club. Signed from Mexican side Pachuca after he impressed for Ecuador at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Valencia hit five goals last season and another five this season, but hasn’t been a key player under Bilic.
So, the Croatian may need to recruit three strikers – possibly two high profile and one less so in a role that Nikica Jelavic took last summer.
Whatever the Croatian does, there are a lot of names being linked to the Irons, but it is so early in the summer that the club do not need to rush and end up spending millions on a reserve striker from an obscure European league.
Historically, the two David’s like to buy early and Payet is an example of their speed of action. If what we hear is true, then co-owner David Sullivan, is already wheeling and dealing and that will excite Hammers fans.
What won’t excite them is just any signing made because we couldn’t get anyone else.
Lacazette or his club aren’t interested, but many others will find the allure of the Premier League and an ambitious London club with a new stadium too good to turn down.
Let’s hope that if Alexandre Lacazette doesn’t join.. and that he regrets that decision a year from now.
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