West Ham advanced in deal for “great” star; Hammers happy to meet valuation

Hoping to seal their summer by ticking one last target off their list, West Ham United are reportedly at an advanced stage to sign an attacking reinforcement and are now happy to meet his valuation.

West Ham transfer news

The Hammers have arguably had one of the best transfer windows in the Premier League, signing the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Crysencio Summerville, Jean-Clair Todibo and several others. And Julen Lopetegui has already started to reward the owners for that investment, picking up his first three points as a West Ham manager in their 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace .

Even after a successful summer so far, however, the London club may not be done there on the incomings front, having been linked to the likes of Raheem Sterling and Carlos Soler.

Reports even suggest that their deal to sign Soler from Paris Saint-Germain is a priority for sporting director Tim Steidten, with negotiations ongoing to seal the Spaniard’s signature. In a move to add more creativity to Lopetegui’s midfield, Steidten has also reportedly turned his attention to signing a solution to the Hammers’ long-term striker problem.

According to Gazzetta Dello Sport via Sport Witness, West Ham are now at an advanced stage in their deal to sign Tammy Abraham and are even happy to meet his valuation of €20m-€25m (£17m-£21m) in the coming days.

This follows earlier reports that West Ham were close to meeting that price tag, with the fresh update indicating that any gap has now been bridged ahead of the forward’s potential arrival. A Chelsea academy graduate, Abraham looks increasingly likely to be on his way back to the Premier League, where he could haunt his former club by starring for a London rival in England’s top flight this season.

Is Abraham better than Fullkrug?

It would have been easy to assume that West Ham were done with signing strikers after welcoming Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer, but he was never a long-term option at 31 years old. That’s where Abraham could come in and instantly usurp the German this month, with his Premier League know-how a vital advantage in what would be an intense battle for the starting spot.

Managing a goal contribution just over every two games during his previous Premier League spell, Abraham would be arriving a more experienced forward this time around at 26 years old. Looking to rediscover his best form after an injury-ridden year or so at Roma, the London Stadium should be an ideal environment to do just that.

Former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is someone who will certainly be keeping an eye on the England international, having praised Abraham during his time in charge. Lampard told Chelsea’s official website: “I’m delighted with Tammy. He has a really great attitude in training, a desire to score goals and his all-round game was really good as well. Myself and the staff are working closely with him on little bits of his game where I think he can be even better and he’s been very receptive to that.”