West Ham United make move for Gaetan Laborde as Nice stance emerges
West Ham United are preparing a move for long-standing transfer target Gaetan Laborde, according to Foot Mercato.
The French news outlet reported on Friday (10 January) that Nice are prepared to let the forward leave this month due to the Hammers’ interest as the Ligue 1 outfit prepare to reduce the wage bill.
West Ham reignited their interest in Laborde in the summer of 2022 [Tutto Mercato] after seeing a £12.5million offer to Montpellier rejected the year before, and are prepared to enter the race for his services once again after Niclas Fullkrug suffered another injury setback.
Gaetan Laborde to sign for West Ham United?
While the 30-year-old is entering the twilight years of his career, he has continued to bang in the goals in France.
Since West Ham first declared interest in the forward, he opted to remain in France and leave Montpellier for Nice, where he has established himself as the third-highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 history.
Laborde has scored 81 goals across his career in the French top flight and has continued to be a main contributor for Nice with four goals and two assists in 10 appearances.
Nice are prepared to sell, and the Irons desperately need more options to lead the frontline as Fullkrug joins Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen on the sidelines.
However, all the striking options at the London Stadium are over the age of 30, and while Laborde would provide an immediate short-term fix for Graham Potter, he may not be the ideal option in January.
Sporting CP are willing to sanction the sale of 19-year-old Conrad Harder this month [TBR Football], and while West Ham will have to contend with Arsenal and Chelsea for his signature, the prospect of becoming an immediate starter could see Harder opt for a move to East London.
There will be plenty of hard decisions facing Potter in his first transfer window at the London Stadium, but one certainty remains – he needs a new striker now.
In other West Ham news, the Irons step up the striker search as a new Marcus Rashford claim is made.
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