Trabzonspor make Valencia loan bid
Turkish side Trabzonspor have launched a bid to sign West Ham striker Enner Valencia on loan with a view to buy next summer, according to Yeni Safak.
The Super Lig outfit aren’t the only team from that part of the world to show an interest in Valencia this summer, with Galatasaray also having opened talks to sign the striker.
West Ham have placed a £7.5m price-tag on Valencia’s head this summer in order to force through a move after two less than impressive seasons in East London with the Hammers – which is significantly less than the £12m they paid for him.
Trabzonspor have reportedly made an offer to sign Valencia on a season-long loan with an option to buy next summer. The Hammers are yet to respond but, seeing as they are linked with every striker between here and Turkey anyway, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were keen on any arrangement which saw Valencia depart before the start of the season.
The striker netted four times in 19 appearances last season in a campaign heavily hit by injury, but a return of just 10 goals in 61 appearances in two years is not the return David Gold and David Sullivan were expecting when they paid £12m to sign him from Pachuca in 2014.
His lack of club form doesn’t translate to the international stage. The Hammers signed Valencia after he scored all three of Ecuador’s goals at the 2014 World Cup, and the 26-year-old scored twice in four games at this summer’s Copa America taking his tally for Ecuador to 16 goals in 29 games.
West Brom were said to be scouting Valencia at the Copa America ahead of a summer move, while talk of a move to Swansea is ‘nonsense’. There is strong interest from the Bundesliga in the striker, who can also operate on the wing as well.