West Ham have been handed a huge boost in their search for a new striker with Monaco set to pull out of the race to sign Juventus striker Fernando Llorente, reports TMW.
Llorente, 30, has been linked with the Hammers and Spurs heavily this summer along with Real Madrid and the Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco but Les Rouges et Blancs have been put off due to the Spanish international’s wage demands meaning it looks to be a three horse race for the 6ft 4 striker.
The Spaniard has been a prominent figure for Juventus since joining on a free transfer in 2013 from Athletic Bilbao, but could see his first-team chances limited next season with Juve already adding Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala and Simone Zaza to their side.
He is seen as a good complement to Diafra Sakho upfront.
Andy Carroll But Spanish?
The 30-year old has very similar qualities to Andy Carroll and a similar presence in the penalty area, but with West Ham chasing big name players ahead of an assault on Europe this season it makes Llorente a prime target for Slaven Bilic.
Carroll netted a goal every 0.42 games he played in the Premier League last season compared to Llorente who scored a goal every 0.23 games. It has to be remembered Carroll only managed 12 league games last season compared to Llorente’s 31.
