West Ham United transfer news: Boulaye Dia development by Tuesday as striker wants Premier League, Nottingham Forest also keen
Key figures at Salernitana are set to make a decision on Boulaye Dia’s future by Tuesday (23 January) as West Ham hope to sign the striker, according to Sport Italia.
The Italian outlet reported on their website (22 January) that the Serie A side’s general manager Walter Sabatini and owner Danilo Iervolino would have a call in the first two days of the week to determine if the Senegalese goalscorer will move.
The in-demand 27-year-old is reportedly the top target for Russian clubs Spartak Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow but Dia himself would prefer a move to the Premier League, where the Hammers and Nottingham Forest both want him.
Il Mattino reported at the start of the January transfer window (3 January) that the Irons were ready to spend €16million [£13.7m], for the striker who TNT Sports called “superb” when he scored against Sassuolo on 10 November.
Perfect?
It is no secret that West Ham need a striker, and have done ever since Gianluca Scamacca’s unhappy year in East London came to an end in the summer.
Danny Ings may have suddenly looked like the player David Moyes wanted him to be when he signed him from Aston Villa against Sheffield United, but on the whole his time at the London Stadium has been a struggle.
With various absences through injury and international duty also impacting on the Irons in recent weeks it would certainly help boost expectations for the rest of the season to finally land a new specialist goalscorer.
Dia was outstanding on loan from Villarreal last term as he scored 16 Serie A goals before making his switch permanent, but his record has dipped to four so far this year as the team currently rooted to the bottom of the table have struggled.
For what sounds like quite a modest fee he would represent a (relatively) low-risk signing who could provide the extra option up front that Moyes has needed all season.
In light of Forest’s profit and sustainability referral from the Premier League it might be difficult for them to spend currently, and if Dia is set on moving to the Premier League everything could be falling into place for West Ham, pending the call this week between the powers that be at Salernitana.
In other West Ham news, a high-profile January target now wants an immediate switch to the London Stadium in the transfer window.
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