West Ham told to pay £21.7m to land 10-goal striker as club eye quick £11.3m profit

West Ham are now being linked with a move for a Serie A striker as Graham Potter looks to address his front line. The Hammers are in the midst of a crucial summer as they look to go from a bottom half side to one competing for the final European spots over the coming season - or perhaps seasons.

Potter struggled to make an impression during his early months in charge, and while he will get the chance to put his own stamp on his squad this summer, he is going to have to win over supporters quickly in the new season to establish a footing.

Recruitment is going to be vital this summer, and West Ham have already made a start on that front, but they are yet to address one of the most important areas. The Iron need a new striker after the failed Evan Ferguson experiment, and it looks as though they are shopping in Serie A as they look to land one.

According to TuttoCagliari, West Ham are interested in signing Cagliari frontman Roberto Piccoli, who only officially joined the Italian club this summer following a loan spell with them last season. Cagliari had a £10.4million option to buy built into the loan deal, and they snapped up him permanently from Atalanta this summer.

Piccoli scored 10 goals in 37 Serie A appearances last season, and that form has seen him attract interest. West Ham are said to be keen, and according to the report, Cagliari want to make a sizable profit if they are going to lose the striker withing months of signing him. It’s claimed they want between £21.7million and £26.1million, and the report adds that the asking price will ‘not be unsurmountable’ for West Ham.

Benfica are also said to be interested, and there are indications that a bid at the bottom end of that asking price may well be enough to get a deal done.

What has Piccoli said?

Piccoli last spoke to the media in the Spring, and speaking to L’Unione Sarda about his season, he said: “When you are young and you start in Serie A you have to gain experience and learn to grow, even with the many difficulties that can arise. I think about working day by day. The most important thing is the team, I have to help with goals but we all have to work together - me too.”

He added: “Now I'm thinking about working well here in Cagliari, because only with the club can you aspire to the national team. Here we have a wonderful group of young guys, who want to improve day after day.”

Piccoli also spoke about who he thinks is the best in Serie A, choosing former Everton star Moise Kean. He explained: “In my opinion, the strongest striker in Serie A now is Moise Kean », his choice. «For all types of characteristics: physical, technical, speed and power. He is a high-level player, who in my opinion will go on to play on important stages next year.”

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