West Ham have had an opening bid rejected for Montpellier striker Gaëtan Laborde, according to The Guardian.
The Hammers have reportedly offered to take the 26-year-old on loan until the end of the current campaign with an obligation to buy in the summer. However, the French Ligue 1 club are only interested in an immediate permanent deal, with the report claiming that an offer of £16m would be required to force Montpellier’s hand.
David Moyes is on the lookout for a new centre-forward as Sebastien Haller’s departure left the West Ham squad with only the injury-prone Michail Antonio as a recognised senior striker.
Laborde has six goals and six assists in 20 Ligue 1 appearances this season, arousing the interest of the Hammers.
The club may have turned their attentions back to the Frenchman after a reported bid of £22.5m for Sevilla ace Youssef En-Nesyri was rejected by the La Liga side, who are looking for almost double that amount for their highly-prized asset.
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Having led a rather uneventful career up until this season, West Ham’s interest in Laborde is of great intrigue. Credited for his work rate, perhaps it’s the similarities with Antonio which have endeared the former France under-20 international to Moyes.
Montpellier’s rejection of an initial loan comes as no surprise, with French clubs citing immediate and major financial concern, waiting until the summer to receive a substantial fee is of little use.
