According to reports, West Ham are prepared to bring Derby County striker, Chris Martin, to East London, but will face competition from several Premier League clubs.
Slaven Bilic’s new employers will be looking to go head-to-head with Martin’s former boss at Derby, Steve McClaren, who has recently taken over at Newcastle United. Crystal Palace, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion are also looking to bring the Scotland international up to top-flight football. The striker himself may prefer to join Alan Pardew at Palace, where he scored 7 goals in 26 games between 2011 and 2012.
West Ham though, are looking to bolster the squad ahead of a first European campaign in 9 years, where striking options will be tested to the full and goals are a must. Chris Martin has scored a total of 45 goals in two years at Rams; more than any Hammers striker in that time.
Derby County may face a serious challenge to hold onto the 26 year-old who might offer better value for money than QPR’s Charlie Austin, who has been rumoured to be in Claret and Blue sights.
None the less, if Martin does join, West Ham may be forced to offload one of the barrage of strikers available for this season, boosted by the returns of Mauro Zarate and Modibo Maiga.
