West Ham and Newcastle United are just two Premier League clubs on the trail of Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos as the hunt for the Colombian’s signing heats up, according to The Gambling Times.
The news outlet claim that the South American hitman is on a number of clubs’ shortlists not only in the UK but across Europe, with the likes of Sevilla, AS Monaco and Eintracht Frankfurt joining English outfits Leicester, Everton and Southampton, as well as the Irons and Magpies, in chasing his capture.
The 22-year-old has been in sensational form since moving to Glasgow, scoring 46 goals in 83 appearances across all competitions and earning his first cap for his country.
Good move for Newcastle/West Ham?
Kicking off with Rafael Benitez’s men – absolutely.
The Toon Army might be loving what Salomon Rondon is doing up front but having another proven hitman to take the place of St James’ Park flop Joselu is a must and Morelos can tick that box with ease.
As for the Hammers, their front line looks set for a major shake up in the summer, Marko Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez all linked with exits and Andy Carroll out of contract.
The Rangers man knows where the back of the net is and with a feisty streak in him would go a long way to replacing what their Austrian talisman brings to the side right now.
There might be doubts over whether his form in Scotland will translate to the English top flight, but that is a risk with every player outside the Premier League.
This is Futbol rating: Newcastle – 8/10, West Ham – 7/10
Likely to happen?
The report suggests an asking price of £20million and while that is well within what the Hammers have spent in recent years, Newcastle owner Mike Ashley will baulk at that sort of fee.
As much as the Magpies might need a player of his quality up front, he will not be top of their list at that price, while it could ward off the Irons as well as they look for upgrades to their squad.
This is Futbol rating: Newcastle – 3/10, West Ham – 5/10