West Ham United have rejected an approach from Aston Villa for striker Enner Valencia according to The Telegraph, with Slaven Bilic’s men hoping to add a new centre-forward to their ranks before allowing the Ecuador international to leave the London Stadium.
A deal for Juventus star Simone Zaza is believed to be close to completion, which will bolster the Hammers’ options in the final third after injuries to Andy Carroll and Andre Ayew.
Valencia has been featuring for West Ham this season, but it is widely believed that the South American may be moved on before the transfer window closes at the end of August.
Villa have a new owner in the form of Chinese investor Tony Xia and the Midlands club have spent money this summer in a bid to bounce straight back to the Premier League following last season’s relegation.
Valencia has shown glimpses of his ability since moving to West Ham after the 2014 World Cup, but the Ecuadorian looks destined to play his 2016/17 football elsewhere.
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