Report: West Ham keen on Chelsea striker Ike Ugbo
West Ham are keen on signing Chelsea forward Ike Ugbo this summer, according to Het Belang van Limburg.
The Hammers are looking to sign a striker this summer and have identified the 22-year-old as an option to bring to the London Stadium.
Ugbo plied his trade on loan at Cercle Brugge last season where he bagged 17 goals in all competitions.
According to the report, West Ham are not the only team that are keen on signing the English forward. Fulham, Genk, Eintracht Frankfurt, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven are also interested in acquiring his services.
It’s understood that a fee between £3million and 4million would be enough for Chelsea, given the fact that he’s in the final year of his contract.
Worth a punt
Getting a young striker for that kind of transfer fee is not a risk as he can always become a better player if given the time to flourish at the London Stadium.
We’re looking for a player this summer who can get us 20 league goals a season and while Ugbo will not be doing that, he could offer backup to the forward we eventually end up signing as it is a priority position for David Moyes.
The Englishman’s goals last season may have come in a less competitive league, but the players in his team were also not at the level of the names we have among our ranks and he could thrive with the added creativity of some of our players.
He’s a pacey and mobile attacker willing to get others involved in the game. He may lack that clinical edge in front of goal, but his overall gameplay makes up for it.
Chelsea have an embarrassment of riches in their first-team squad and players on loan so they can afford to let a player like Ugbo leave for close to nothing.
However, we must try hard to sign him as a second-choice striker as he could one day lead the line for us week in and week out.
In other West Ham news, ‘Elite’ striker offered to Dortmund, he’d rather join West Ham – report
Be sure to follow West Ham Zone on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on the Hammers and more exclusive interviews with Frank McAvennie.