Crystal Palace could table a bid worth £12million to sign West Ham attacker Michail Antonio in the January transfer window, according to Claret & Hugh.
The Hammers news site claims that Roy Hodgson is eyeing up a move for the 28-year-old even though the Irons are determined not to sell any of their players before the end of the season.
It is understood that Palace are willing to test the West Ham board’s resolve and could make a tempting offer for Antonio even though Manuel Pellegrini would rather he remained on the books at the London Stadium.
Good move for West Ham?
Antonio is hardly a key player for West Ham, but he is ever-present in Pellegrini’s first team with 13 appearances across all competitions so far this season and the Chilean would more than likely want to keep him around.
The former Nottingham Forest ace is extremely versatile and is a handy player to have around when injuries become a problem.
With West Ham, injuries always seem to be a problem and if Pellegrini had a fully-fit squad, Antonio would probably struggle to even get on the bench.
And that means that taking the £12million would be a good bit of business by the Hammers because fringe players like the 28-year-old can be bought for much less and offloading him could free up a spot for a promising youngster to break into the first team like Grady Diangana has done.
This is Futbol rating 8/10
Likely to happen?
According to this report, Pellegrini wants Antonio to stay put and although that means that a potential deal with Palace is unlikely, Hodgson could seriously for West Ham’s hand with a decent offer.
It all depends on how much the Eagles are willing to pay and if it is £12million, the Hammers could take the money and run.
However January is still almost two months away so it is too soon to make any concrete predictions.
This is Futbol rating 6/10