West Ham United in pole position to sign Divock Origi, AC Milan ace has Saudi admirers

West Ham are in pole position to sign AC Milan forward Divock Origi, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Italian newspaper reported on 3 August that the Hammers were the front runners for the Belgian international, but that Saudi clubs are also interested in signing him.

It said a stumbling to any deal for the 28-year-old, who his former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp referred to as a "monster", is his £3.5million-a-year (£67,000-a-week) salary and the fact that he has two years left on his contract.

Decent option

There is no doubt that Origi would be a decent signing for West Ham as they look to strengthen their attacking options this summer following the potential departures of Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio.

It might not be a potential transfer that gets Hammers fans off their seats, but the Belgian striker is well-suited to David Moyes’s style of play and any business is welcome at this moment in time.

The West Ham boss likes to play with a strong number nine leading the line and, as has previously been seen in the Premier League during his time at Liverpool, Origi is exactly that.

The problem for the AC Milan forward is that he’s never been consistently given a run of games as a starter, with his time at the San Siro also largely being spent on the bench after being included in the starting lineup on just 10 occasions last season in his 36 appearances.

His high salary could potential be an issue, but if he is available for a relatively low fee, then that would bring the costs down and make him worth considering bringing in with the start of the season edging closer.

In other West Ham news, the club are still eyeing a move for their “dream” midfielder this summer.