West Ham propose mega new striker transfer, owner update drops
West Ham United have made a £35million-plus proposal for Lorient striker Eli Junior Kroupi, according to Sky Sports.
The broadcaster reports in its live transfer blog (2 February, 22:00) that despite the Irons tabling a deal worth up to £35m for the striker, Lorient owner Loic Fery is yet to sanction a potential transfer.
Kroupi, 18, is also not pushing for an immediate exit from the Ligue 2 side and is happy to wait until the summer before deciding on his next move (Jacob Steinberg), making any move Hammers unlikely.
West Ham put Eli Junior Kroupi transfer on ice – for now
Although the Hammers would have made one hell of a splash by committing as much as £35m for a teenage striker playing in France’s second tier, any move for Kroupi at this stage would be highly risky.
The entire winter transfer window is often seen as one for panic buys, let alone on Deadline Day, and had David Sullivan sanctioned such an outlay on Kroupi, Irons fans would have been scratching their heads.
Furthermore, with Evan Ferguson already on his way to the London Stadium, a medical passed and an announcement expected by Monday afternoon, Graham Potter already has the striker he wanted.
Ferguson is two years Kroupi’s elder and far more proven at the top level than the teenager – he’s actually played at Premier League level, for one – and represents much less of a risk on the transfer front.
A straight loan deal with no option to buy also gives the Irons a free hit when it comes to Ferguson’s six-month spell in East London, and therefore it’s wise to wait until the summer before pursuing Kroupi.
In other West Ham news, a rival Premier League club’s owner has made it his “personal mission” to beat the Irons to a new signing.
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