West Ham United must move fast to secure the services of in-form AZ Alkmaar striker Vangelis Pavlidis ahead of the summer transfer window.
Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has confirmed that the Greek marksman could be on the move this summer, with several Bundesliga clubs planning a swoop.
It would take around €18 million to price the 25-year-old away from AZ, but the striker’s formidable goalscoring form in the Eredivisie renders his valuation a bargain.
Pavlidis is the hottest striker in the Dutch top flight, leading the goalscoring chart with 24 goals from 22 games and is in very high demand by clubs across Europe.
West Ham are one of those credited with an interest in the Greek striker, and the Hammers must beat the competition to secure his services this summer.
Pavlidis is a perfect successor for Michail Antonio
Michail Antonio’s nine-year affiliation with West Ham is set to end at the end of the season when his contract runs out.
The 34-year-old has been an exceptional servant to the Hammers since joining from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2015.
Antonio has clocked 79 goals and 45 assists in nearly 300 appearances for West Ham, but his paltry four goals in 23 games this season suggests it’s time for both parties to go their separate ways.
In the absence of a prolific striker to lead the line, David Moyes has relied heavily on Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus to provide the goods this season.
While they have delivered admirably, netting a combined 22 Premier League goals, the Hammers still boast one of the worst attacking records of any side in the top half of the table.
Moyes’ side have scored 50 goals after 31 games, with only Wolverhampton Wanderers (43 goals in 30 games) and Manchester United (40 goals in 29 games) netting fewer times.
Adding a prolific striker like Pavlidis into the mix could make a world of difference for the Hammers, who have struggled to punch above the Europa League places in the Moyes era.