Premier League side West Ham United have reportedly set their eyes on Sevilla winger Lucas Ocampos as they look to bolster their attack in the summer.
According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato, Lucas Ocampos has emerged as a transfer target for West Ham United as the Sevilla winger braces himself for a potential move away from the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium at the end of the season. The Argentine attacker is also courted by another Premier League club in Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Formerly of AS Monaco, the 27-year-old joined Sevilla back in 2019 from Ligue 1 outfit Marseille and has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence under coach Julen Lopetegui. With 22 direct goal involvements for Los Nervionenses, he had a fantastic debut season topped by a Europa League winner’s medal.
Ocampos quickly established his reputation as one of Sevilla’s key protagonists in the attacking third with his explosiveness, tenacity and pace playing a pivotal role in the club’s counter-attacking approach. However, his output in front of goal has dipped in the last couple of seasons.
Still, he remains an ever-present figure for Los Nervionenses, with his eight goals and four assists from 35 appearances across all competitions proving essential to Sevilla’s challenge for the Liga title this season.
Ocampos has lately been going through a rough patch, but with his stock relatively high at the moment, the Andalusian club may look at the next summer transfer window as the optimum time to cash in on their prized forward and generate much-needed funds.
Having been linked with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid last summer, the Argentine international still has no shortage of suitors as Premier League sides Wolves and West Ham are set to battle it out for the services of Ocampos.
West Ham United are currently competing for a top-six finish and are on track to secure qualification for some form of European football by the end of the season. Given the lack of quality depth throughout the squad, David Moyes will be on the lookout for multiple reinforcements across the pitch in the upcoming summer window.
With Andriy Yarmolenko expected to leave when his contract expires this summer and Jarrod Bowen being heavily courted by Liverpool, it seems West Ham will need to bolster their frontline. To that end, singing a winger of Ocampos’s skillset will be a massive coup for West Ham as he will add a lot of quality.
Ocampos is predominantly a wide forward, adept at finishing with both feet. He also exhibits a good work rate off the ball and will fit into Moyes’s system of defending from the front. At 27, he is currently in the prime years of his playing career.
Ocampos is under contract at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan until 2024 and has a release clause worth a whopping £58 million, implying it would command a sizeable fee if West Ham are serious about pursuing their interest in the Argentine international. Whether West Ham do launch a summer swoop for the 27-year-old Sevilla ace remains to be seen.
