West Ham United have been boosted in their pursuit of prime target and boyhood Arsenal fan Eze Eberechi.
Read: ‘I wouldn’t be surprised’ ExWHUemployee tells all on West Ham’s interest in Prem star
David Moyes has reportedly made the Queens Park Rangers star his number one target according to The Evening Standard.
West Ham face competition from London rivals Crystal Palace who are said to have had a bid rejected last week (Telegraph).
Eze ‘dream’ club Arsenal a new threat to West Ham’s hopes?
But a new threat to West Ham’s hopes of landing the 22-year-old QPR playmaker emerged in the shape of Arsenal in the last week.
According to The Daily Star Eze ‘dreams’ of a move to Arsenal.
That’s despite lifting the lid on his heartache at being released by his boyhood club when he was just 13.
So West Ham boss Moyes will be encouraged by a claim from Sky Sports’s self-styled ‘insider’ Kaveh Solhekol this week.
Speaking in his Sky Sports column ‘The Insider’, Solhekol has dismissed any chance of Arsenal shopping for players at QPR.
And he also revealed any bid matching QPR’s £20m valuation will be accepted.
Boost for Moyes as insider dismisses Gunners link
“Ebere Eze will leave QPR this summer if one of the clubs who are interested in signing him offer £20m,” Solhekol said in his Sky Sports column.
“He grew up supporting Arsenal and spent some time in their youth set up so his dream move would be to the Emirates Stadium.
“The days when Arsenal went shopping at QPR are long gone though. The last time they signed someone from Rangers was 30 years ago when George Graham paid £1.3m for David Seaman.”
Now all that remains to be seen is whether West Ham can raise the funds necessary to secure the player’s signature.
West Ham do have an ace card in striker Jordan Hugill who is wanted back at Loftus Road next season after scoring 15 goals on loan from the Hammers last term (West London Sport).
Hugill the ace card but Hammers must raise funds
Hugill could be worth up to £4-5m as a makeweight in any deal for Eze.
The Hammers would still have to find another £15m, though.
Moyes is actively trying to sell Felipe Anderson and others to raise cash (Claret & Hugh).
The Scot has been told he must sell to buy this summer due to the financial impact of the global health crisis.
That has not stopped other Premier League teams adding to their squads, though.
Read: Deadly reunion still on cards for West Ham as club president speaks out on striker target
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