Reports coming out of the United Kingdom have confirmed that West Ham United forward Antonio Martínez has been a target for Scottish side Dundee. However, it would seem that the Dark Blues are ready to cool their interest in the Spanish striker and a move will not take place.
Dundee boss Neil McCann said: “Toni is a player I am aware of. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t scour everywhere for all sorts of players that are available. We can’t spend a lot of money on strikers. Martinez is clearly a very talented striker but he played for West Ham at the weekend. Listen, I don’t think there is anything going to come of that. He is a class player. I have looked at him, Tony is a player among probably 50 strikers. But I’ve looked at every other position because at this time of year you just don’t know who you are going to get. You get players chucked at you left, right and centre and you have to do your homework. So there have been long nights looking at players those maybes you can’t even get.”
The 20-year-old striker cost the Hammers £2.4million when he came from Spanish outfit Valencia last season. He spent his first spell out on loan at Oxford United. The youngster made 17 appearances scoring thrice and making two assists. He has spent his time at West Ham this season playing in the Premier League two. He has also featured for the club in their FA Cup and Carabao Cup matches, scoring two goals in six matches.
Fortune has swung its way around the Hammers as West Ham United, after being winless in nine matches, have recently turned things around. David Moyes will look to build on his good start to the New Year at West Ham United as he attempts to wash over his previous success and consequent failure and rewrite his credentials as a manager. Prior to the FA Cup loss to Wigan, they were on a seven-match unbeaten run included an impressive 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley and a 4-1 hammering of Huddersfield Town.
The gloomy atmosphere around the new London stadium is a little less tentative now as Moyes attempts to find a new formula to bring his side back to a fighting place in the league. With Moyes already having a plethora of attackers, he is unlikely to look at Martinez as an option.
Even though Dundee has cooled their interest, Martinez may still want to find a way out on a loan spell to get decent game time.
