West Ham United have reportedly lodged an enquiry for Boavista winger Alberth Elis, who is impressing on loan at Ligue 1 club Bordeaux.
According to Foot Mercato, West Ham United are among the clubs showing an interest in signing Boavista winger Alberth Elis, who is currently on loan at French club Bordeaux.
Elis started at CD Olimpia in his homeland, Honduras, before having stints with Mexican club Monterrey and MLS outfit Houston Dynamo. He made his way to Europe in 2020, signing for Portuguese club Boavista. He had a decent debut season in Portugal, producing a tally of eight goals and six assists in 31 league games.
Last summer, Elis left Boavista to join Bordeaux on a season-long loan deal, and the wide forward has been impressive in France. So far in 2021/22, the 26-year-old has netted nine goals in just 18 games for the French side, while also registering a solitary assist.
Capped 53 times by the Honduras national team, Elis has attracted plenty of interest in recent months. The Foot Mercato report claims that a club from China were willing to pay €19 million for him during the January transfer window. Now, heading into the summer, West Ham United have entered the fray for his signing, along with Fiorentina and VfL Wolfsburg.
West Ham United are in the market for attacking reinforcements as Andriy Yarmolenko is likely to leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires. Furthermore, there are question marks over the future of Jarrod Bowen, who has emerged as a key transfer target for Liverpool.
The Hammers are discussing a new contract with the former Hull City winger to stave off interest from the Reds. Even if they are successful in their endeavours, David Moyes’ men should press ahead to bring in another forward to address their over-reliance on Bowen and Michail Antonio.
Elis could be a viable option considering that he can play anywhere across the frontline and has displayed his goalscoring acumen in European football over the past twenty months or so. West Ham United have made enquiries to check the availability of the 26-year-old winger ahead of the summer transfer window.
Bordeaux have the option of making Elis’ signing permanent in the summer. But the club could be headed for relegation from Ligue 1 as they sit at the bottom of the table. If they end up dropping down to Ligue 2, a permanent transfer would be off, opening the door for West Ham to swoop in for Elis. However, Boavista have tied Elis down to a contract until 2024 and could demand a significant sum for his signing.
