West Ham United are eyeing up a move for ex-Premier League striker Graziano Pelle from Chinese side Shandong Luneng. According to recent reports in the English press, the Hammers are currently holding talks about a possible transfer for the former Southampton forward. The 32-year-old signed for Shandong Luneng for a reported fee of £12m in July 2016 and is on huge wages of around £13.5m a season but the Chinese side are now willing to cut their losses and part ways with their prized asset if the right offer comes in this month.
The Italian striker scored 30 goals in two seasons during his time with the Saints and is now believed to be eager on testing himself in European football. He is open to linking up with his former Southampton teammate Jose Fonte at the east London club. His wealth of experience in the Premier League is something that David Moyes wants to utilise going into the second half of the season.
The Hammers have struggled to sign a striker this month after failing to land Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge in recent weeks. However, the addition of Pelle will undoubtedly bolster their attacking options in the coming months.
The east London outfit finds themselves in 11th place in the Premier League standings with a tally of 26 points in 24 league outings. They have been in sensational form in the league of late and have played well under David Moyes since he took charge of the club in November last year. However, the Londoners sit just 4 points above the drop zone with some of their key personnel out injured in recent weeks. Andy Carroll will undergo a foot operation while the attacking duo of Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic have fallen victim to hamstring injuries.
There are also serious concerns over the futures of Javier Hernandez, Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew with all of them being touted with a move away from east London. Hence, the addition of an experienced forward like Pelle could go a long way to boost their chances of avoiding relegation at the end of the season. The 30-year-old has found the back of the net 23 times and provided 9 assists in 68 matches in the Premier League during his spell with the Saints.
Pelle has also earned 20 international caps for his nation, scoring 9 goals in his international career. It remains to be seen whether the Hammers are able to lure the Italian international into east London in the near future.
