West Ham are in talks to sign Anthony Modeste from Cologne, according to Sky Sports.
It was thought that the Frenchman was set to move to Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian earlier last month, however with the deal collapsing last week, the Hammers have now made Modeste their top priority ahead of the new season.
Modeste scored 25 goals in the Bundesliga last year, finishing as the league’s third top scorer behind only Robert Lewandowski and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.
According to Sky sources, the Hammers are prepared to pay £20 million for the highly rated forward, however Cologne will demand closer to £30 million for his signature.
The 29-year-old striker has played in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers during their relegation season of 2012, but featured little for Steve Kean’s side, and has gone from strength to strength since moving to Germany in 2013.
In the four seasons Modeste as spent with both Hoffenheim and Cologne in the German top flight, he has managed 68 goals in just over 130 appearances.
