West Ham reluctant to raise £22m offer for Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri as David Moyes continues January striker search in wake of Sebastian Haller’s exit to Ajax
- West Ham put in an offer for Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri in this window
- The LaLiga side rejected the £22m bid and West Ham are reluctant to offer more
- David Moyes is determined to sign a striker after allowing Sebastian Haller to go
West Ham are reluctant to increase their £22million bid for Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri despite David Moyes’ desire to bolster his attack before the close of the window.
The east London side sanctioned the exit of £45m record signing Sebastian Haller to Ajax earlier this month, leaving only Michail Antonio as an option up front.
It has proved a frustrating window so far for Moyes and West Ham but they remain reluctant to improve their bid for the Sevilla striker.
West Ham are considering whether to make a second offer for Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri
West Ham boss David Moyes is still hopeful of signing a striker before the end of this month
En-Nesyri joined Sevilla for £18m from fellow LaLiga side Leganes only 12 months ago and he has scored 18 goals in 51 appearances.
He signed a five-and-a-half-year deal back then but that has not put the Hammers off in their pursuit of the Morocco international.
The 23-year-old came through the youth ranks at Malaga before leaving for Leganes in the summer of 2018.
He is in impressive form, netting a hat-trick in a win over Real Sociedad earlier this month. En-Nesyri also netted four times in the Champions League group stage, helping Sevilla into the last-16 where they will take on Borussia Dortmund.
He has been in good form recently, scoring a hat-trick against Real Sociedad earlier this month
Despite doubts now surrounding whether a move for En-Nesyri will go through, Moyes insisted he does have the backing of owners David Gold and David Sullivan.
‘The board have backed me greatly since I have been here, anything I have really asked for,’ said Moyes.
‘But I also know I am not someone who is going to go and ask for money in a period of time in football where wages can’t be paid.
‘Do I want a top striker? I certainly do, I really do, to help us. But I am also mindful that football clubs, a lot of them are on the verge of going bust and I have got to make sure that I do things correctly.
Michail Antonio is currently Moyes’ only senior option to play in attack and he wants cover
‘I think we are in a difficult period. January often hasn’t been that good a month. It was good for us last year, so trying to get the right player is not an easy thing.
‘But I have got to say the board has definitely tried to support me and back me in getting players in.’
West Ham have been offered Bordeaux forward Josh Maja but a deal is viewed as unlikely at this stage.
Meanwhile, Moyes wants Issa Diop to stay after the French defender was linked with moves away this month.