What the Nice sporting director and president have said about Terem Moffi will leave West Ham feeling sick after a failed move for the striker in January.
West Ham tried to sign Nigerian striker Moffi from Lorient in the transfer window but lost out to Nice.
Despite a £20m plus offer from West Ham, Lorient took the player’s wishes to join Nice over the Hammers into consideration.
And that led to the somewhat surprising late twist in the deal which saw Moffi loaned out with an obligation to buy.
West Ham supporters were excited at the prospect of signing the 23-year-old who they felt had the pace, strength and athleticism the team has been sorely lacking.
David Moyes did sign Danny Ings last month but the club were still interested in bringing Moffi to the London Stadium.
Injury-prone 30-year-old Ings proved to be the only arrival for the first team in the January window and was sidelined less than 24 hours after being unveiled by West Ham.
A good finisher, Ings will no doubt bring a ruthlessness West Ham have been missing. But supporters hoped the club would make a signing like Moffi for the longer term too.
It was not to be, though.
And what Nice chiefs have said about Moffi will leave West Ham feeling sick after their failed move for the striker.
Speaking on the club’s official website, Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivère confirmed it was Moffi’s preference to join his club over West Ham and hailed him for sticking to his guns.
And the French club’s sporting director Florent Ghisolfi made it clear West Ham have missed out on the perfect modern striker who has everything.
“We’re delighted that Terem’s determination to sign for OGC Nice, combined with our own, has led to this outcome,” Rivère said on the OGC Nice website.
“The support of our owner was also invaluable. It’s an investment that matches our ambitions.”
Sporting director Ghisolfi rubbed salt in West Ham’s wounds by waxing lyrical about Moffi’s plethora of attributes.
“When it comes to the ideas that we want to implement and the identity that we want to establish, he’s the ideal striker,” Ghisolfi added.
“Terem is capable of playing with his back to goal and of running in behind. He’s a modern striker, very pacy and very powerful. He has experience, and he fights for the team. He’s capable of making run after run whilst always keeping a cool head inside the box.”
Moffi is in line to make his debut against ex West Ham hero Dimitri Payet’s Marseille on Sunday.
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