The Hammers appear to have finally received the frustrating confirmation that Carlos Bacca will not be moving to the Olympic Stadium, as he has opted to stay at AC Milan, claim the Evening Standard. It’s a major blow for the Irons, who have spent what seems like most of the summer trying to persuade the Colombian to join them on their European campaign.
With Andre Ayew and Jonathan Calleri already signed up, it’s not as damaging as it could have been, but Slaven Bilic was still hoping to add a star to his side to ensure that they find that long sought after prolific striker to fire his side to the next level after no player managed to reach double figures in goals for the club last season.
The news comes as their top scorer from last season, Andy Carroll, is reportedly being targeted by Crystal Palace should they fail to be able to agree a deal with Liverpool for Christian Benteke, say the Express. Carroll is reportedly unhappy at the number of forward’s brought into the club this summer after he finally appears to have overcome his injury nightmares that have plagued him over the last few seasons.
With Palace happy to spend up to £30 million on a forward, it seems that they have the finances to be able to convince West Ham to allow Carroll to leave, though they may be reluctant to allow him to leave with no like for like replacement so close to the start of the season. With Palace delaying a move until they know whether or not they can secure Benteke’s services, this deal could be taken right to the wire as Alan Pardew seeks a reunion with the forward he worked with at Newcastle.
The Irons are also set to miss out on another target as Everton prepare to beat West Ham’s bid for Rachid Ghezzal, with their £10 million bid, £3 million more than the Hammers’ offer, set to win the auction, according to the Sun. West Ham have already signed two wide players this summer and are unlikely to want to fork out a big fee for another, with their priority now to add another forward to their current squad. Ronald Koeman is determined to get his man, and that seems set to be the case.
The Algerian has fallen out with current club Lyon after demanding a move and is currently training with the reserves, so a move seems inevitable. With Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore already signed on, it is not a massive disappointment to miss out, but Ghezzal would have been a more than welcome addition as Bilic looks to add depth to the squad, with very few options out wide last season and that has been a key area for improvement this summer.
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