West Ham are reportedly eyeing a summer move for Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, looking to snap him up for a bargain price.
It has been a promising summer transfer window at the London Stadium to date, with Julen Lopetegui already bringing in several eye-catching signings to add to his squad.
Max Kilman has arrived from Wolves in a big-money move, bolstering West Ham’s centre-back options, while teenager Luis Guilmerme has joined an exciting attacking addition from Brazilian side Palmeiras.
Goalkeeper Wes Foderingham has made the move to east London, too, coming in from Sheffield United to add competition between the sticks.
David Moyes built a strong squad during his time in charge of the Hammers, but Lopetegui may feel that a new striker is needed, adding firepower in the final third and acting as an upgrade on the ageing Michail Antonio.
According to a fresh report from Football Insider, West Ham “could launch a bargain swoop” for Calvert-Lewin this summer. They are “keen” on snapping him up, but they have been “put off by Everton’s demands”.
The collapse of Everton’s takeover means they may be forced to sell some of their most sought-after players, which could work in the Hammers’ favour.
Calvert-Lewin could be a fantastic signing by West Ham, especially on a cut-price deal, with the positives outweighing the negatives.
Granted, the 27-year-old’s injury problems are a concern, which would make him a risky buy, but he has proven himself over a long period in the Premier League.
Calvert-Lewin has scored 54 goals in 213 appearances in the competition, which is an impressive return for an Everton team that has often been struggling to stay in the division, and he has also netted four times in 11 caps for England.
At 27, the Englishman is still young enough to make a big impact for West Ham over the next five years or so, and he could bring similar levels of pace and power to Antonio, just with younger legs.
There will always have been a worry that Calvert-Lewin would be too expensive for the Hammers, especially considering the price of homegrown players can be bloated, but getting him on the cheap could be a real bonus.