Bundesliga side Schalke have tabled an offer for West Ham striker Lucas Perez, according to BBC journalist David Ornstein.
It would be a loan deal with an option to buy, and it would include a loan fee.
Ornstein claimed that West Ham would get that loan fee as well as offloading his wages, with a potential permanent fee in the summer.
West Ham have received an offer from Schalke to sign striker Lucas Perez on loan + option to buy. 30yo has 5 goals in 14 apps, 9 as sub, since joining for £4m. #WHU would get loan fee, salary saving & possible permanent fee. #S04 12th in Bundesliga + face Man City in #UCL last 16
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) January 30, 2019
OPINION
Perez hasn’t set the world on fire at West Ham since his £4million move – five goals in 14 games, and just two in 10 in the Premier League is a modest return. But we can’t see him leaving unless West Ham bring in a marquee striker before the end of the window, especially after the potential season-ending injury to Marko Arnautovic. If they are planning to spend big money on Maxi Gomez then this could make a whole lot of sense. Perez is reportedly on £80k-a-week at West Ham and he’s not delivering anywhere near that level in returns. There’s no mention of the loan fee, but if they can secure that a permanent move for the £4million they paid Arsenal, it would represent good business. Perez never really got a run at Arsenal but it hasn’t worked out for him at West ham either. A move to Schalke would give him the chance to resurrect his career after impressing at Deportivo La Coruna.