West Ham are said to have made further enquiries into the availability of Villarreal and former Crystal Palace striker Alexander Sorloth. The reported £32 million fee that Sorloth’s current side Villarreal are looking for is the value of his release clause in his current contract. The 28 year old enjoyed an exceptional campaign last season scoring 26 goals in 41 appearances.
The Hammers are believed to have discussed an offer of around £25 million with the Spanish side, however Villarreal remain adamant they are looking for a higher fee. Roma are also said to hold an interest in Norwegian international Sorloth.
New head coach Julen Lopetegui is keen to bolster his forward line. So far this transfer window, the Hammers have been linked with the likes of Everton’s Dominic Calvert Lewin, Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran as well as Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omorodion.
According to CaughtOffside, Roma’s interest in Sorloth was firm and the Italian side had been in talks with the Norwegian’s agents for quite a while. Roma are said to now be concerned that Sorloth’s head will be turned by the Hammers interest and a potential return to the Premier League.
Whilst Sorloth has had a number of high scoring seasons in his career, another example of which would be the 19/20 season when he was in Turkey where he scored 24 goals, overall, he is not known as and has not been a prolific goalscorer over the majority of his career.
Sorloth is seen as a traditional or an old school kind of striker. As a 6 foot 4 target man, the 28 year old would certainly be able to handle the physicality of the Premier League. Whilst it remains to be seen whether the Hammers will pursue a deal for Sorloth, if a deal is to be agreed then the club will have certainly landed themselves a focal point in their forward line.
