West Ham reportedly eye £30m move for striker that Ferdinand raved about in 2016

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West Ham United reportedly want to sign £30m-rated Lyon striker Moussa Dembele with David Moyes a big admirer of the French ace after his time at Celtic – and Rio Ferdinand’s 2016 verdict on Dembele will excite fans.

Dembele, 24, joined Lyon in the summer of 2018 after scoring 51 goals in just 94 appearances for Celtic. A fee believed to be in the region of £20million saw Dembele move to Lyon, where he has since impressed.

In his first two seasons, Dembele scored 44 goals in 92 games and laid on 13 more assists. However, this season, his form has dipped. Dembele is yet to score in his 10 Lyon games – starting only five of those matches.

The Sun claim West Ham are considering a move for Dembele with the player rated at £30million, while Manchester United are also linked. Ferdinand told BT Sport, as per HITC, in 2016 that Dembele is “unpredictable”.

“He is quite unpredictable,” Ferdinand told BT Sport 2, after Dembele scored a brace against Manchester City in September 2016. “I think that he is quite raw, but he is willing to take the chances when they come.

“He is not scared. He has got a confidence about him, he has got that raw pace that scares defenders, and he looks like he wants to be a player.”

TBR’s view – Would Dembele be a good signing for West Ham?

Michail Antonio has emerged as one of the most in-form strikers in Premier League football of late, shining for the Hammers since football returned after a short break. Sebastian Haller has struggled, though.

There is no doubt that Dembele would be a good signing for a Premier League team. But should the Hammers go after Dembele, even if there are no guarantees he would start given Antonio’s form?

If West Ham do go after Dembele, it certainly signifies the end of Haller’s Hammers stay.