West Ham United have had West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon on their transfer hit-list for several months, according to Claret & Hugh.
The reliable Hammers news source claims that the Hammers have been tracking the 29-year-old for some time ahead of a potential summer move, after the Venezuelan impressed in a loan spell with Newcastle United this season.
The frontman bagged 12 goals for an offensively-challenged Magpies side, doing enough to pique the interest of his former Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini.
Rondon is a serious contender to join a much-changed West Ham attack next term, with Maxi Gomez, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Moussa Marega also in the frame.
OPINION
This is an interesting one, of course, because Rondon does know Pellegrini from their extremely successful time together at Malaga. They gelled together well then, when the Venezuelan produced some stellar form, and so it’s natural for the two parties to be linked with a reunion. The fact that the club have been looking at him for some time now suggests that their interest is genuine and that they are ready to bring him to east London. Obviously Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez wants to sign the player on a permanent deal, but there seems to be some hesitation from the Magpies’ hierarchy due to the striker’s age. That likely won’t be a concern for West Ham, seeing as they’ve been tracking him for months, the entire time of which he has been 29 years of age. The Hammers are looking at other frontmen, of course, from Gomez to Marega via Mitrovic, so it’s not a foregone conclusion that they’ll bring Rondon in, but he’s clearly a major contender.
