West Ham United were not mentioned among the list of clubs who scouted one of Europe’s most coveted strikers over the weekend – unlike Liverpool, Everton, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund – but you can rest assured that their sights remain firmly fixed upon him.
In truth, Liverpool, Everton, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the interest in Franculino Dju.
Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Roma, and even Barcelona have been mentioned of late as well.
So West Ham United will not need reminding about the size of the task facing them in 2026 – whether that be January or June – if they are serious about fighting off continental giants for a striker with 21 goals this season already.
Franculino drew level with Erling Haaland and Harry Kane a couple of days ago. One of only three players across Europe’s mid-to-major leagues to record 14 goals in his first 15 matches of the league campaign. A brace in the 6-0 thrashing of Nordsjaelland has since taken his tally to 16, and 21 overall.
Unsurprisingly, as the interest rises alongside his reputation, so too does his price-tag.
And West Ham United will have to go far above the fee they reportedly offered over the summer if they are to snatch Franculino from under the noses of Premier League rivals and Champions League stalwarts.
West Ham United face a huge challenge signing Franculino Dju from FC Midtjylland
According to Danish publication Bold, West Ham submitted a £13 million bid for Franculino before the transfer window closed in September.
Tipsbladet, another source based in the Scandinavian nation, now report that Midtjylland are demanding closer to £30 million. They have already rejected an offer in the region of £25 million from an unnamed Saudi Arabian club.
So if West Ham are to even come within the same postcode of Midtjylland’s demands, they will have to double their opening bid.
Tipsbladet add that Franculino’s representatives are attempting to force through a January move. Something which has created ‘friction’ with the FCM board.
Sporting director Kristoffer Bach Bak has already claimed that selling Franculino mid-season would be ‘stupid’ with a domestic title on the line and a Europa League campaign to take on.
“If we win titles and perform well in Europe, then we will both achieve our dreams,” Bach Bak told Bold in November.
“This is exactly the journey we want to take with our players. And considering the average age of the first team, it goes without saying that people are keeping an eye on what is happening in FCM.”
“Football is football, so we shouldn’t talk about amounts and prices. The most important thing is trust and that the club and the player have the same plan.
“So, it’s 100 per cent the plan to keep the team together until the summer, because strategically it would be the stupidest thing to do if we sold out halfway through the season. It is also a plan that has been made with the players.”
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West Ham like Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marcos Leonardo among others
As Wolfsburg make a move for Niclas Fullkrug – the German’s departure finally taking a step forward – Franculino is just one of many potential replacements. Joshua Zirkzee, Mateo Pellegrino, Gonzalo Garcia, Endrick, Romeo Vermant, Kaio Jorge and more have all been mentioned in recent weeks and months.
Hammers News have been told that West Ham are sensationally tracking Jean-Philippe Mateta amid uncertainty surrounding his future at Crystal Palace.
A £20 million bid has been lodged for Marcos Leonardo of Al-Hilal too, according to a top transfer source.
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