West Ham could well grab themselves a bargain in the winter transfer window for a little-known player that Irons scouts have previously travelled to see.
The player in question is NK Osijek striker Dion Drena Beljo, who Steve Potts scouted back in May, according to Croatian outlet Vecernji.
What’s the word?
As per a report from Belgian outlet HLN, and relayed by Sport Witness, it was said that the “auction” for the player would start from €6m (£5.1m), although it was claimed at the time that the Hammers would be “ready” to spend up to €10m (£8.6m).
By waiting, it seems as though the London Stadium outfit could have saved themselves a few million quid and could now look to swoop for the 20-year-old in what would make for a cut-price deal.
That is if the reports from HLN are anything to go by, with their piece stating that the player can be prised away from Croatia for around €5m (£4.3m), with Anderlecht’s interest in the player uncovering this new information.
No-brainer
A move for the Croatian top flight’s third-highest scorer of last season for a fee of around £4.3m almost seems too good to be true, especially when you factor in West Ham’s intentions to spend around £8.6m in the summer.
Ultimately, the Irons got their hands on another promising goal-poacher in Gianluca Scamacca, who has shown signs of thriving at the London Stadium since his move from Sassuolo, netting six times in 18 appearances.
Added competition in Beljo could well channel more consistency into the Italian, who has so far endured a healthy rivalry with Michail Antonio for the centre-forward role, with the duo boasting a relatively similar number of minutes so far this term.
In the 20-year-old Croatian, David Moyes would not only have a squad-bolstering asset who already has 28 senior goals to his name, but may also be getting his hands on a predator who can lead the line for West Ham in the long-term.
Either way, if the Irons can spend around £4.3m to acquire his services, there is every chance that they would be able to at least reap a massive profit on him if they were to sell him further down the line.
This looks like a no-brainer for the West Ham hierarchy, particularly with Antonio coming into the twilight of his career.
