English Premier League club West Ham United have submitted a bid to Czech Republic side Viktoria Plzeň for Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi ahead of a possible transfer this month, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Hammers are looking to add quality to their squad to aid their fight for Premier League survival.
After a difficult start to the campaign, West Ham currently sit 18th in the table, four points away from safety.
While their backline has been suspect, having conceded 38 goals in 19 games, the forward line has not been sharp enough to compensate.
The team has scored only 21 goals in the Premier League this season, largely because they lack sufficient firepower in the final third.
With Niclas Füllkrug and Callum Wilson being the only senior out-and-out strikers, the club has identified Durosinmi as a top target to provide much-needed reinforcement for coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
West Ham Want Rafiu Durosinmi
Rafiu Durosinmi has been a standout performer for Viktoria Plzeň since last year. He was very close to moving to Eintracht Frankfurt two years ago, but the transfer fell through following an injury.
However, he has since bounced back strongly and has been firing on all cylinders. This season, he has registered 13 goals in 30 appearances for the Czech club.
Although he was heavily linked with a move to Gent last summer, Viktoria Plzeň chose to hold onto him at the time.
Now, reports from Sport Witness, West Ham believe that Durosinmi can solve their scoring woes.
While Viktoria Plzeň value their star man at around €14 million, the Hammers’ opening bid of €6.5 million was significantly lower than that valuation.
As a result, the Czech side has already rejected the offer, and it remains unconfirmed whether the former Conference League champions will return with an improved bid.
The former Czech champions are currently at a disadvantage in negotiations because Durosinmi has since expressed a desire to leave.
Also, since the 22-year-old striker’s contract expires at the end of the season, Viktoria Plzeň must sell this month to avoid losing him on a free transfer.
This will be a big blow for them, as they signed Durosinmi for €850k in 2023, and his value has soared to a career-high €7.5 million.
As the transfer window is now officially open, the Hammers will likely want to wrap up a deal quickly so he can begin playing immediately.
Nonetheless, even if this West Ham move does not happen, Viktoria Plzeň needs to finalize a sale this month to secure a significant profit on the player. If not, they will be losing one of their biggest investments.
