West Ham United‘s hunt for a new striker continues as the Hammers have been linked with several strikers of late, including Emmanuel Adebayor.
The London club have completed one major signing so far, as Pablo Fornals will join the club from Spanish side Villarreal.
Now, the West Ham are interested in Porto striker Moussa Marega, as per Daily Star.
West Ham will have to compete with the likes of Wolves and Aston Villa, who are also keen on signing the 28-year-old striker from the Portuguese side.
Marega’s release clause at Porto is £31 million, and he has two years remaining on his current contract at the club.
Moussa Marega – Profile
The Mali international joined the club from Marítimo in 2016, and he has gone on to score 41 goals for the club in 85 appearances.
After a slow start to life at Porto, Marega’s performances improved in the last two seasons.
Marega scored 19 goals and 10 assists in all competitions in 43 games for the Portuguese giants, following a stellar 2017-18 season where he scored 23 goals for the club.
The French-born Mali striker has scored thrice for the national team in 22 appearances, and is currently with them, representing Mali in the African Cup of Nations.
Would Marega be a good fit under Pellegrini?
Following the signing of Pablo Fornals, manager Manuel Pellegrini needs to sign a goal-scoring striker, who can play the lone role with pomp as well as scored 15+ goals in the season for the Hammers.
Marega could be a very good signing for the Hammers, after impressing in the Portuguese league as well as the Champions League, for Porto.
In the 2018-19 Champions League, Marega scored 6 and turned provider on two occasions, as the Portuguese giants were knocked out in the quarter-final stage by eventual champions, Liverpool.
Porto were not very successful in the 2018-19 season, finishing second in the league and only winning the Portuguese Super Cup, but they did have some positives, chief among them being Marega’s great form.
The strong, physical striker is a very good finisher, and is deadly with the ball at his feet or on his head. Marega is not only a potent goalscorer, but also contributes with assists as well as defending, with his strong pressing and determination to win the ball back from the opponents.
The 28-year-old could be a very good signing for Pellegrini, who will look to compete for European places next season in the Premier League.