West Ham now make first move for “remarkable” £44m striker

West Ham United have now initiated first contacts over a summer deal for a “remarkable” striker, who is attracting a lot of attention from the Premier Leagueaccording to a report.

Hammers lacking an out-and-out striker

Back-to-back wins against Arsenal and Leicester City at the end of February have almost certainly staved off any lingering fears about relegation, with Jarrod Bowen bagging the only goal of the game to secure an impressive 1-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

However, the Hammers have since gone on to score just one goal in their last two games, with Graham Potter having to make do without an out-and-out striker, given that Niclas Füllkrug and Michail Antonio are out injured.

As such, while Bowen is enjoying another impressive season in front of goal, Potter has identified the need to bring in a new striker this summer, and Strazbour’s Enael Emeel is among the targets, having regularly been amongst the goals in Ligue 1 this term.

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Potter has also told the West Ham board he wants them to sign Lille’s Jonathan Davidbut with Arsenal and Barcelona in the race for the Canadian’s signature, it could be difficult to get a deal done, and the manager may have to move on to other targets.

One option could be Fiorentina’s Moise Kean, with a report from Italy revealing the Hammers have now initiated first contacts over a deal for the Italianbut there may be fierce competition for his signature.

A number of Premier League clubs have expressed an interest in Kean, including Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, although the transfer is still in the preliminary stages.

Fiorentina are protected by a €52m (£44m) release clause in the striker’s contract, but it is unclear whether they would insist on receiving the full amount.

It is clear to see why some top Premier League clubs are coming forward for the Italy international, given his extremely impressive record in front of goal this season.

CBS’s Marco Messina has also lauded the Fiorentina marksman for his “remarkable” all-round performances, suggesting he offers a lot more to his team than merely goals.

That said, while the former Everton man was undefeated against West Ham during his time with the Toffees, there will still be concern about his previous stint in the Premier League.

Kean scored just four goals in 39 games for Everton, and while it is clear he has made improvements to his game since then, his goal record in England casts doubt over whether a £44m fee is justifiable.