Alex Crook: West Ham have long-term interest in Josh King
West Ham have been interested in Joshua King for some time and he could be a cheaper alternative to Tammy Abraham, claims talkSPORT’s Alex Crook.
The Hammers are believed to be keen on Abraham but signing the Chelsea striker could take a hefty sum out of the transfer budget [The Telegraph].
King, by contrast, could be available on a free by the end of June, as he only signed a six-month deal when he joined Everton in January.
Commenting on West Ham’s striker search, Crook told talkSPORT, “West Ham have got a longstanding interest in Joshua King.
“He hasn’t pulled up any trees at Everton, so you’d imagine he’d be available as a cheaper option to Abraham.”
Back-up option
King has not enjoyed the best of spells with Everton and if he cannot get into their team then we should be wary about making a move in summer.
We sit above Everton in the table and given our attacking options it is possible that King would struggle for starts ahead of Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals.
Bringing him in as a back-up option on the cheap could work well, but he should not be signed at the expense of bringing in a top striker like Abrahams.
Ultimately, it will come down to how David Moyes views King.
The Hammers boss has rejuvenated Jesse Lingard’s career and he may believe King could be the next player he turns around.
After all, Eddie Howe previously described the Norway international as “outstanding physically, technically and mentally – he has the complete package, a little bit of everything.”
King’s pace means he is a threat on the wing and through the middle and with a regular run in the side he could rediscover the form that led him to score 16 Premier League goals in 2016/17.
However, it is difficult to see him getting regular game time at the London Stadium so this transfer would catch us by surprise.
In other West Ham news, Hammers in hunt to sign ‘extraordinary’ goalscorer, Moyes loves his ‘power’ – report.
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