New target: Terem Moffi is wanted at West Ham
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)West Ham have made a bid worth up to £25million for Lorient forward Terem Moffi, as David Moyes battles to save his job.
The Hammers find themselves in the relegation zone at the midway stage of the season following’s Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Wolves - a sixth in seven League games either side of the World Cup.
The club’s hierarchy have so far been strong in backing their manager and Moyes is expected to remain in charge for next weekend’s crucial home meeting with fellow strugglers Everton, where Frank Lampard’s position as manager appears even more precarious.
Moyes is under huge pressure to turn the Irons’ form around quickly having not seen his side win a Premier League game since beating Bournemouth back in October.
A lack of firepower has been a major factor in West Ham’s turgid run of League form: the Irons have scored only 15 goals in 19 games, while Said Benrahma and summer signing Gianluca Scamacca are joint-top-scorers on just three apiece.
Scamacca’s £30.5million arrival from Sassuolo was part of a £170m spending spree that saw eight new players arrive last summer and, as a result, it had been expected that West Ham would only be able to consider options in the loan market during the current window.
However, Moyes has been keen to sign another forward and explored a deal for long-term target Youssef En-Nesyri earlier this month, only for the Sevilla striker to reject a move.
Attentions have now turned to Moffi, who has 12 goals in 18 Ligue 1 appearances so far this term, fewer only than PSG star Kylian Mbappe.
West Ham’s offer for the 23-year-old Nigerian international is worth an initial £20m, with an additional £5m in add-ons.
Any new arrival in the forward department could have ramifications for Michail Antonio’s future.
The Jamaican has been frustrated by his diminished role this season having lost his place as first-choice to Scamacca, though he did start the defeat at Molinuex, with the Italian nursing a minor knock.
Antonio has been linked with a move to Wolves, though Moyes insisted on Friday that there has been no formal approach as of yet.
