Incoming West Ham United head coach Julen Lopetegui has set his sights on an up-and-coming member of the attacking ranks at La Liga giants Atlético Madrid as a leading summer target.
That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, citing English sources, who point towards Samu Omorodion as the player in question.
Frontman Omorodion, for his part, spent this past season on loan, with Deportivo Alavés.
And the youngster went on to turn heads with his performances, notching nine goals across 35 appearances amid a positive campaign in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Such exploits have given rise to inevitable outside interest in Omorodion’s services, with clubs from across Spain and Europe alike having been credited with an interest in his signature ahead of the summer.
And, as alluded to above, on Saturday, a fresh suitor has thrown their hat in the ring.
As per MD, West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui is ready to put ‘all his effort’ into bringing his fellow countryman to England’s capital.
The Irons had previously been expected to launch a big-money assault on the signature of Sevilla standout Youssef En-Nesyri, but this has now been put to one side, to focus attentions on Omorodion, instead.
The board at the London Stadium are understood to be ready to offer up an initial €29 million, plus a further €10 in add-ons.
Atlético would prefer a guaranteed sum of closer to €40 million, the kind of figure which would leave the brass in Spain’s capital with little choice but to part with a player whom they paid just €6 million for last summer.
Conor Laird | GSFN
