West Ham remain interested in Porto striker Moussa Marega, but face competition from several European sides, according to Correio da Manha.
The Portuguese outlet claims that the Hammers continue to hold an interest in a player that they have long been linked with. They also report that Marega has a £34.1million release clause.
Numerous European sides also have their eye on the 27-year-old, most notably West Ham’s Premier League rivals Leicester City. Sky Sports reported last summer that Manuel Pellegrini’s side were keen on the striker.
The Mali international has enjoyed another fine season in Portugal, bagging 17 goals and 10 assists in 34 games this term, including six goals in seven Champions League games.
OPINION
This is an interesting one from a West Ham perspective. They have long been linked with Marega, who has shone ever since joining Porto, and it seems that that remains the case. £34.1million isn’t a bad sum for a player like Marega either. His goalscoring record is pretty good and he has shown this season that he can perform on the big stage. To bring someone like that to the London Stadium would be a big deal for the Hammers. It’s a move that makes sense from a team-building standpoint, as well. The club will likely have a vacancy up front in the summer with disgruntled attacker Marko Arnautovic almost certain to depart for pastures new come the end of the campaign. Marega, then, would be a more than capable replacement for the mercurial Austrian. He possesses similar power and goalscoring nous to Arnautovic and so he could be the man to succeed him in East London.
