By Pete Hanson

23rd May, 2023 | 6:10pm

West Ham face competition from Lyon and Premier League rivals in battle for wantaway Alassane Plea

West Ham are among the clubs interested in signing unsettled Borussia Monchengladbach striker Alassane Plea this summer, according to Foot Mercato.

The French forward has 49 goals in 173 appearances since joining from Nice in 2018 but only has two Bundesliga goals this term, albeit he has largely been deployed on the wing.

The Foot Mercato report suggests Plea is desperate to leave Gladbach this term and could be available for between £8.6million and £10.4million.

West Ham could be in the market to add more firepower to their ranks, with Gianluca Scamacca struggling in his first Premier League campaign since joining from Sassuolo and Michail Antonio potentially on his way out of the London Stadium.

However, there could be a battle for Plea’s signature with Fulham and Crystal Palace thought to be interested, while Lyon are said to be keen to take him back to Ligue 1.

West Ham have reportedly “made some contacts with the player’s entourage”.

Hammers should ignore any come-and-get-me Plea from Alassane

It is little wonder West Ham are in the market for more firepower during the off-season, especially considering their top Premier League goalscorer this season is Jarrod Bowen on six.

Scamacca has notched only three times in 16 top-flight appearances and has been linked with a loan to AC Milan, while Antonio has five in 32, and Danny Ings has two in 16 since arriving from Aston Villa in January.

But frankly, Plea, who is now 30, does not seem the best solution at this juncture in his career.

The Hammers have been linked with his signature in the past, but Plea’s best return in the league came for Nice in 2017-18 when he managed 16 in 35.

At Gladbach, his Bundesliga returns have been 12, 10, 6, 10, 2 (with a game to go this season). You feel the Hammers might be best served looking to a younger talent to try and boost their goals tally in the 2023-24 season.