West Ham United are monitoring the progress of Russian striker, Fyodor Smolov and could make a move for him in January. Some sources are reporting that David Moyes is planning to secure his services but might face competition from Real Madrid in pursuit of his signature. The FK Krasnodar forward has been in fine form as evidenced by his recent goalscoring run. Smolov scored a brace for Russia in their highly entertaining 3-3 draw versus Spain last month. Since then, the 27-year-old has gone to score six goals in five matches for his club FK Krasnodar. The Hammers are keen on securing his services when the transfer window opens in January and have been pushing to get a deal done amid increasing competition from some of Europe’s most elite clubs.
The Russian international has scored 13 goals in 15 matches while representing both his club and country. He is also expected to lead the Russian attack at the World Cup. However, his club might be willing to let him go in January according to recent reports. FK Krasnodar is competing in the Russian Premier League which is set to go on a two-month winter break starting from December 10. It is understood that this period will allow FK Krasnodar to find a suitable replacement for their star striker and so, they are willing to part ways with their prized asset for a fee in the region of £15m.
David Moyes’ West Ham are hoping to convince the striker to choose London over Madrid citing the prospect of regular first-team football which will provide him with a better platform to improve and reach his full potential. The Russian can also speak fluent English which is an added bonus for David Moyes as it ensures that there won’t be any communication gap.
West Ham United made a poor start to their Premier League campaign and are in dire need of reinforcements in January. With Diafra Sakho set to leave when the transfer opens in January, the Hammers boss has shortlisted a number of candidates which include Daniel Sturridge and Danny Ings of Liverpool plus Theo Walcott at Arsenal but concerns regarding their value and fitness have brought doubts over any move taking place.
The North Londoners have just scored 13 goals in 15 Premier League matches so far in this campaign. The addition of Fyodor Smolov can potentially help them in their cause to avoid relegation. It remains to be seen whether the Hammers can fend off competition from Los Blancos in pursuit of his services in January.
