West Ham United are on the market for a new striker and have set their sights on AS Roma marksman Artem Dovbyk.
According to Calciomercato, the Hammers are considering a move for the 28-year-old, but they’ll face serious competition from Premier League rivals Leeds United.
Dovbyk made a name for himself during his spell at Girona. He bagged 24 goals in 36 La Liga games, helping the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history.
That performance earned him a move to AS Roma last summer, and he didn’t waste time getting used to his new environment, notching 12 goals in 32 Serie A games.
He also scored five times across the Europa League and the Coppa Italia, taking his overall tally to 17 goals and four assists in 45 games for Roma across all competitions.
Despite his impressive numbers, the Giallorossi are keen to get him off their books this summer.
New Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is not convinced by the Ukrainian striker and has already brought in ex-West Ham flop Evan Ferguson to replace him.
Dovbyk missed the early part of pre-season with a muscle injury but has returned to training. However, he may have to find a new home before the transfer window closes.
Signing Dovbyk wouldn’t be a smart move by West Ham
Roma have made it clear that Dovbyk is on the chopping block and will welcome bids of around €40 million (£34.4m) for the Ukrainian striker.
However, West Ham would be wise to steer clear of Dovbyk and go for a younger striker. Dovbyk’s numbers are impressive, but he’s not the kind of addition that’ll get fans off their seat.
Also, the Hammers already have an experienced striker in Niclas Fullkrug and should be looking for a younger, more dynamic option to provide serious competition for the German.
From a tactical standpoint, it’s hard to see how Dovbyk will fit into Graham Potter’s system, although his hold-up play is decent enough to get him into the team.
The fact that Roma have replaced him with a striker who struggled to get going at London Stadium is another ominous sign that confirms West Ham should be looking elsewhere for reinforcements.