West Ham United have failed in their initial attempts to sign attacking duo Cedric Bakambu and Anthony Modeste, according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper claim that the Hammers have tabled bids worth £22million for each of the two strikers this summer, as they seek to reinforce their goalscoring ranks after a disappointing season in 2016-17.
However, they have been handed an emphatic response by both Villarreal and FC Koln, with neither club willing to accept West Ham’s lucrative offers.
A deal for either striker would smash the club’s transfer record, which was set at £20million following the signing of Swansea attacker Andre Ayew a year ago.
But it is apparent that West Ham boss Slaven Bilic will have to significantly raise his offer for each player if he seeks to end his prolonged pursuit of a new goalscorer in the coming months.
Modeste, came within touching distance of breaking the 30-goal barrier for a single season with German outfit Cologne last term, finishing with an impressive 27 goals from 37 appearances in all competitions.
The 29-year-old has been on the Hammers’ radar for some time and is admired by Bilic, but his current employers are looking for a fee closer to the £35million mark for their star striker.
Villarreal star Bakambu, meanwhile, does not boast such a prolific goal record from 2016-17, but ticks the boxes for West Ham as a striker with considerable pace to burn.
The 26-year-old managed 11 goals from 34 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish club last season, which is still more than any player could manage at the London Stadium last term.
Versatile winger Michail Antonio finished as the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions last season with just nine goals, despite missing the last six Premier League games through injury.