West Ham are ready to bolster their attacking lines after focusing on defensive reinforcements so far this summer but a stern fight is set to occur on the marker.
The Sun states the Hammers are locked in a transfer tussle alongside newly-promoted Fulham for the services of OGC Nice striker Alassane Plea.
25-year-old Plea starred in Ligue 1 for Nice last season, netting 16 league goals, and Nice are prepared to sell in order to secure a significant profit on a player they spent less than £500k on.
Plea’s services are likely to cost in excess of £25m and it could take a club-record figure for West Ham to win the chase for the striker, who would be seen as the ideal addition to a weak attacking line.
The Hammers need support for Marko Arnautovic after being overly reliant on the former Stoke man last season, while Mexico international Javier Hernandez struggled for form in his return to the Premier League.