West Ham United are keeping tabs on Borja Iglesias’ situation as David Moyes continues searching for a new striker to provide competition in the area.
According to AS, Borja Iglesias could be a target for West Ham United in the summer transfer window, as his situation with Real Betis remains unclear. The Hammers’ boss David Moyes is searching for a striker in the market as he seeks to add viable competition for Michail Antonio in the centre-forward position.
West Ham United’s lack of transfer activity and inability to improve squad depth may have cost them the season. The London side had lofty ambitions to finish in the top-four and go far in the Europa League, but injuries and fatigue to key stars dashed their hopes.
West Ham United could not go past Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-finals, and their inconsistent form in the Premier League was only good enough for a seventh-placed finish. They will now feature in the Europa Conference League next term, despite showing so much promise for much of the 2021/22 season.
West Ham need players in most areas and, more importantly, in the centre-forward position. Moyes seemingly overused Michail Antonio, whose 47 games yielded 13 goals and 11 assists across all competition. The manager wants a new player to share the workload and contribute by scoring goals.
Moyes was keen on Eddie Nketiah on a free transfer, although other names are emerging as targets with the striker now set to stay put at Arsenal.
One of them is Burnley star Maxwel Cornet, who could be available on the cheap following the club’s relegation from the Premier League. There are other viable options, such as Mohamed Bayo and Hugo Ekitike. The latest one is Real Betis star Borja Iglesias, who is also on Newcastle United’s radar.
The Betis striker had a fantastic season after an uncertain period about 12 months ago. Iglesias was instrumental in the club willing the Copa del Rey this season, as he ended the campaign with 19 goals in all competitions.
Borja Iglesias remains contracted with Real Betis until 2026. However, the La Liga club have financial issues to deal with and may look to player sales as a solution. While the situation is not bad enough for a clearout, they might entertain a good offer for players like Iglesias.
Betis invested €30 million to sign Iglesias in 2019 and may want to recover the full amount. If they are to sell for anything lower, they will incur a loss while also needing to find a replacement player with similar goalscoring capabilities.
West Ham are interested in the Real Betis ace, although they might look at younger prospects and only turn their attention towards Iglesias if other targets are out of reach. Moreover, if Betis set a high asking price, the Hammers could rule out a move for the 29-year-old Spanish striker.
