West Ham £34m transfer deal under pressure as Chelsea 'join' race

West Ham United's interest in Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface is well-documented in the ongoing January transfer window. However, the Hammers are not alone in their pursuit - they have been joined in the race to snap up Boniface by Chelsea.

This is according to a report from Football Insider, who mention that 'other Premier League clubs' are also believed to be interested in a move for the 23-year-old. As things stand, no clubs have submitted an official offer for the player, but the Hammers and the Blues are reportedly 'laying the groundwork' to launch an effort to bring him on board this month.

What would Victor Boniface bring to West Ham or Chelsea?

Currently, West Ham and Chelsea are both in need of a new striker. The Blues have had several chances to ameliorate their woes up top - players such as Christopher Nkunku, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Jackson have all failed to fill this gaping hole in their otherwise-bloated squad.

The Irons are also short of a quality striker at the moment. Talismanic centre-forward Michail Antonio is currently out with a long-term injury, Divin Mubama is too green to be regular starter and 31-year-old Danny Ings is simply not mobile or physical enough to be a strong fit in a David Moyes-led outfit.

At 6ft 3 and with a powerful frame, Boniface would be an excellent fit for both squads. Chelsea need a strong forward to hold up the ball and allow space for their creative attacking players, as do West Ham. He is a decent goal scorer in his own right, too. So far this season, Boniface has scored 16 goals in all competitions over the course of 23 appearances - he has also managed to notch up a total of 8 assists, showing his versatility and intelligence.