West Ham Priced Out Of Move For Long Standing Target

West Ham are on the hunt for a new striker, one name, however, has been taken off the list after the club have been priced out of a transfer.

Joshua King was close to joining West Ham in the summer. It was believed the Norwegian was the club’s alternate if a move for Said Benrahma had not been completed. Since then the Hammers have been continuously linked to the striker with the hopes of making a move for him this month.

AFC Bournemouth are prepared to sell King this month. The Cherries are demanding a fee of around £10 million, steep for a player in the last six months of his contract. King will be able to leave the south-coast side in the summer for free if he does not renew his contract.

King had not played much for the Championship this season after suffering from COVID and injuries. It was also believed that Bournemouth were protecting their prized asset ahead of a sale this month. The Hammers are in need of a striker more than ever after selling Sebastien Haller to Ajax.

Despite his lack of game time, King is still a Premier League quality player and impressed in his appearance in the FA Cup match against Oldham. The 28-year-old scored two goals and assisted another one.

King has plenty of attributes that David Moyes is looking for in a striker. The forward has pace, power and is a good finisher. It had seemed that the move going to happen eventually, but now it is completely off due to Bournemouth’s demands.

West Ham will now have to look elsewhere for a better deal. One option that is currently being pursued is a move for Red Bull Salzburg striker Patson Daka. The Zambian international is one of the biggest prospects in Europa and at 22-years-old, offers more longevity than King.