West Ham have scheduled more talks with Celta Vigo over a potential £44million deal for Uruguay international Maxi Gomez, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper report that the Hammers have earmarked the 22-year-old as their prime target to replace Marko Arnautovic, who is wanted in a £45million deal by Guangzhou Evergrande.
The Mail claim that West Ham had been seeking a deal for Bournemouth star Callum Wilson but the club ended that interest due to concerns about his price tag and injury history.
It is said that Vigo are averse to selling their star striker and will hold out for his £44million buy-out clause amid interest from the Hammers and China.
A £44million deal would make Gomez the club’s record signing.
OPINION
While there is obviously heavy interest from West Ham in Gomez, the most likely outcome at the moment is still Arnautovic remaining at the London Stadium this month. The Austria international may have head his head turned by the big-money interest from China, and he may have said his goodbyes to the fans last weekend, but a move is looking increasingly off the cards. The likelihood of a Chinese Super League club paying £45million for the 29-year-old seems low, and Arnautovic may be forced into remaining in east London for now. If he does, then he has a bit of a job to do in winning back the hearts of fans who will have been put out by the stories of his imminent departure. It is obvious he has his mind set on a move, but unfortunately that may not happen, and he will have to accept that sooner rather than later.
