Antonin Barak unlikely to join West Ham in January – report
West Ham are unlikely to sign Antonin Barak after he scored a hat-trick at the weekend for Udinese in Serie A, according to Calciomercato.
The Hammers have been linked with a transfer for a striker all winter, with the club desperate to find competition and cover for Michail Antonio up front.
Their search led them to Barak, who currently plays for Udinese as an attacking midfielder but has the ability to play up front.
The Czech Republic international was believed to be available for around €20m (£16.7m) this month which put the Hammers on alert, but it’s now believed that the player is focused on the rest of the season with his current club.
Barak scored a hat-trick for the club and registered an assist in a 4-2 win over Sassuolo at the weekend to move to eight goals and four assists in 18 games and CM now say that a deal is ‘unlikely’.
Target
The club are in need of a new goalscoring option to help ease the burden placed upon Antonio this season, but they seem no closer to finding anyone to fill that void.
Antonio started the season well but has seen the goals dry up as of recently, and the Hammers have relied greatly upon Jarrod Bowen’s fine form to earn them points.
But without any real options to rotate them, both are growing quickly fatigued and their influence is lessening as each game passes.
Moyes has acknowledged the need for a new attacker this winter, but a deal is proving to be far more difficult than expected this winter.
West Ham currently sit in fourth place in the league having played 22 games this season.
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