West Ham appear to have been boosted in their pursuit of a striker, as Sky Sports claim Krasnodar striker Fyodor Smolov is very much keen on a move to the London Stadium this month.
The skipper of the Russian national team has been linked with the Hammers in recent month, and it said that they would make a bid for the £15 million-rated hitman once the wantaway Diafra Sakho gets sold.
Smolov, 27, has been a sure source of goals for Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League since his arrival, registering 59 goals in 90 appearances – 10 of which has come in 13 league appearances this term.
The prolific striker has also been in great form for the upcoming World Cup hosts, scoring 11 goals in 28 games, including 2 during a friendly against Spain in November to prove he’s not just a flat-track bully in an unpopular league.
West Ham could do with another top finisher following the failure of their primary strikers to fire on all cylinders this term, and the freescoring Smolov ticks all the boxes.
Apart from being deadly from a distance, the Russian is also able to hold on the ball and dribble in order to bring others into play, and he should hit the ground running in the Premier League given his proficiency with the English language.