Insider: West Ham readying goal machine offer after preliminary talks
03/22/2025 04:30 AM
West Ham are prepared to rival Newcastle in their pursuit of prolific Lille striker Jonathan David, according to their former senior scout.
Mick Brown, who worked at the London Stadium until leaving alongside David Moyes last summer and remains very well-connected there, exclusively told Football Insider that the 25-year-old’s agent has been speaking to the club’s directors.
The Canada international, who has scored 23 goals and provided 10 assists from 41 appearances in all competitions this season, will be available on a free transfer in July when his contract at the Ligue 1 club expires, and is seen as an “ideal option” for the Hammers.
This comes amid concerns about the futures of Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug, while Danny Ings is likely to leave West Ham upon the expiry of his contract.
However, David is also attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs given his availability on a free, and West Ham will have to convince him of the move.
Brown told Football Insider that Newcastle are readying an offer for David as he is finally expected to make the move into English football.
West Ham prepared to make Jonathan David offer
Football Insider revealed in January that David will "inevitably" leave Lille when his contract expires despite turning down mid-season interest.
Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that the Hammers want a striker to get the best out of Jarrod Bowen and Mohamed Kudus.
“He is one West Ham are considering a move for,” he told Football Insider.
“Because he’s on a free, it’s a deal that would make a lot of sense for them.
“They’ll be preparing to make him an offer, but it will need to be a good one because there are a lot of clubs interested in him.
“A lot of it will be agent led, especially when players are available at the end of their contracts, because the agents will be speaking to the directors.
“That’s how a lot of business has been done at West Ham in the past.
“There are a lot of areas in the team that they’re concerned about and the striker is definitely one.
“He would be an ideal option in that case, because he’s better than what they’ve got.
“They want somebody who is going to get the best out of people like Bowen and Kudus, who have often had to play out of position to make up for the lack of a centre-forward.
“You don’t know how Antonio will recover from his injury, Fullkrug has been injured but doesn’t look good enough, and Danny Ings is past his sell-by date.“
Graham Potter eyes Angel Gomes swoop after Tottenham latest
David is not the only Lille star likely to leave the Ligue 1 club for free this summer, as England international Angel Gomes is edging closer to a return to the Premier League.
Brown told Football Insider that West Ham want to sign Gomes as he is seen as the ideal fit for the way Graham Potter wants his team to set up at the London Stadium.
However, the potential of signing the England international for free has put a number of clubs on alert as Tottenham also want to sign Gomes as Ange Postecoglou is a big fan.
More recently, Football Insider revealed that West Ham have moved quickly for Gomes' signature as they look to steal a march on their rivals.
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The post Insider: West Ham readying goal machine offer after preliminary talks appeared first on Football Insider.
