West Ham United have ended their interest in signing Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho and have begun to pursue other targets, according to a report on ESPN.
The Nigerian forward was linked with the Hammers for several weeks but the two clubs failed to progress negotiations regarding the transfer fee.
The 20-year-old forward has been subject to interest from several clubs and West Ham seemed the favourites to secure his signature, but the Hammers have now dropped out of the race.
Hammers manager Slaven Bilic is desperate to add strikers to his squad as his side struggled massively in front of goal last season.
The £25 million transfer fee placed on Iheanacho by City was always slightly higher than the Hammers were willing to pay but City would not budge on their valuation. The Hammers were also hoping for a loan deal for the striker but it is understood that City want to sell him permanently.
The London club had hoped that new signing Pablo Zabaleta would help their negotiations with Iheanacho as the Argentine full-back joined from City as a free agent.
But the Nigerian forward now seems to be destined to play his football elsewhere as Premier League rivals Leicester City have acted quickly and are confident of securing his signature very soon.
He broke into Man City’s first team in the 2015-16 season and has scored 21 goals in 64 appearances for the Manchester club, with many of them coming off the bench.
The Hammers have also been strongly linked with Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud.
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