West Ham United have reportedly revived their interest in Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesyri and are weighing up a January transfer swoop for the 24-year-old Moroccan international.
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, West Ham United are back in the race to sign Sevilla centre-forward Youssef En-Nesyri and are lining up a move in the winter transfer window. The name might sound familiar to some Irons’ faithfuls as they came very close to signing the La Liga striker this January and even had a transfer bid rejected.
Youssef En-Nesyri was signed by Sevilla from CD Leganes back in January 2020 in a deal worth around £18 million. He proved to be a shrewd signing and has since progressed leaps and bounds to become one of the best in-form strikers in the Spanish top-flight. He is perhaps one of the most underappreciated attackers in Spain and boasts a respectable tally of 33 goals in 85 appearances for Red and Whites’ in all competitions.
The 2020/21 season proved to be the most productive one for Moroccon as he netted 24 goals on all fronts for the Andalusian club, helping them to a top-four finish in La Liga. He has notably shown his prolific instincts in the Champions League, where he notched up 6 goals from just 8 outings, firing Sevilla into the competition’s knockout stages.
The 24-year-old has taken his red-hot form into this current campaign, having scored 3 goals from 6 La Liga games so far. Another campaign with similar stats may propel him into the elite level of finishers. His exploits have obviously attracted interest from top clubs across the continent with Arsenal among the clubs keen.
West Ham have long been interested in En-Nesyri. It’s a well-known fact that Hammers need a quality forward to provide competition and backup to their reliable first-choice striker Michael Antonio. The 30-year-old Englishman is unplayable on his day but has a track record of recurring injuries.
And while Jarrad Bowen and Andriy Yarmolenko faired decently in the false-nine role, it can’t be feasible for a stretch of games especially considering their already gruelling schedule owing to their involvement in Europe. Moreover, the east Londoners never really filled the space left by the departure of Sebastian Haller to Ajax earlier this year.
All signs are indicating for West Ham to make a move for the most sought-after strikers in En-Nesyri. However, there are several stumbling blocks on the way. The Moroccan prospect is under contract at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán until June 2025, which gives Sevilla a stronger hand in negotiations. As per Mundo Deportivo, Sevilla will not consider any bids below the €45 million, which may effectively price out the Hammers.
Also, the Red and Whites are real contenders for this year’s La Liga crown, with Barcelona and Real Madrid in transition. Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui would not allow his top-goal scorer to leave midway through the season. It will be interesting to see if the Hammers can pull it off to sign the 24-year-old or they turn their attention elsewhere.