West Ham remain interested in Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesyri but believe reaching a deal during this month’s transfer window will be difficult.
The Hammers pushed to sign En-Nesyri two summers ago after a prolific campaign but were unsuccessful in their pursuit, before the forward then struggled with injury in the early part of 2021/22 and finished the season with just five goals in all competitions.
The 25-year-old has started only four times in LaLiga so far this term, but scored twice in the Champions League group stage and netted a hat-trick in the Copa del Rey victory over Linares Deportivo last week.
En-Nesyri’s stock is on the rise again following the World Cup in Qatar, where - alongside Irons defender Nayef Aguerd - he was part of the Morocco side that reached the semi-finals, scoring twice, including the winner in the quarter-final victory over Portugal.
West Ham spent around £170million on eight new signings last summer, including £30.5m on Italian centre-forward Gianluca Scamacca.
As a result, David Moyes is expected to have to rely on loan signings for any improvements to his squad this month, though a proposed deal for En-Nesyri could include an obligation to buy at a later date.
Sevilla, however, are reluctant to lose the forward in the middle of the season, given they are in an almost identical position to West Ham, languishing in 17th place outside the relegation zone only on goal difference.
