West Ham United are said to be tracking Blackburn and Chile striker Ben Brereton Diaz but will need to pay upwards of £25m in order to secure the in-form striker.
According to the Evening Standard as quoted by The Boot Room, West Ham remain hopeful of securing some signings before the January transfer window closes, and Brereton-Diaz is firmly in their sights.
Irons manager David Moyes is known for being very particular for what types of transfers he will go for in order to improve his squad, which might explain the lack of movement despite the squad being quite thin on the ground.
It has now also been one year since the club sold Sebastien Haller to Ajax, leaving the powerful and versatile Michail Antonio as the clubs only recognised striker. And how they have managed to get by without the 31-year-old getting injured is a credit to his game management by Moyes and the West Ham medical team.
However, sooner or later this luck may run out, and in addition West Ham could do with a striker to give them genuine options in their attack from game to game instead of relying on the same group of players week in week out despite any dips in form which might occur.
Brereton Diaz looks like an ideal West Ham signing given his goal record in the Championship this season, netting 20 goals in 26 league games and helping to propel Blackburn into contention for promotion to the Premier League.
That being said, West Ham are not the only club who are tracking the Chile international. Newcastle United and Leeds United are both reportedly ready to rival any potential bids for him so it might be a case of who has the best package available.
West Ham are once again in the hunt for European football, and have thus far given a good account of themselves in the Europa League, topping their group. But if they want to ensure they are able to effectively compete in both the Premier League and Europe they will need to make some signings, and soon.