West Ham’s £32million bid for Alexandre Lacazette rejected as Hammers are told to stump up a mega £40million for Lyon striker
French side play hardball after dismissing second bid for France international who netted 23 times last season
WEST HAM have have been told to stump up a mega £40million for Alexandre Lacazette after Lyon dismissed a second bid of £32m.
The Hammers have cash to splash and are scouring Europe for top talent, identifying the France international as one of their chief summer targets.
Co-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan last month tabled a package worth up to £31m for the ten-cap international who missed out on a place in Didier Deschamps’ squad for Euro 2016.
But it was rejected by Lyon, who are determined to drive a hard bargain for their prize asset.
The Hammers have also shown an interest in Belgian duo Christian Benteke and Michy Batshuayi.
But Liverpool striker Benteke is keen to fight for a starting spot under Reds boss Jurgen Klopp while a clutch of top clubs are circling for Marseille hit-man Batshuayi, who wants Champions League football.
Boss Slaven Bilic has also confirmed he will raid his former club for Besiktas duo Atiba Hutchinson and Gokhan Tore.
I want Gokhan Tore and Atiba Hutchinson, they are targets.
Slaven Bilic
The West Ham manager bossed the pair for two years in Turkey and is keen to bolster his squad in time for the club kicking off their 2016-17 campaign at the Olympic Stadium.
And Bilic, who is rarely coy over his transfer targets, admits that they are both on his radar.
He said: "Yes I want Gokhan Tore and Atiba Hutchinson, they are targets.
"We also have others but they are major targets.
"Will it happen? Nobody can say yet but we want him.
"I want one transfer for both. More than one thing has to happen for this deal. When a club wants a player it depends on how much [Besiktas] want to sell a player and how much they are asking.
"There is a lot written in the Turkish press that is untrue. But I know them, I spent two years with them."
Turkey playmaker Tore, 24, missed out on his country’s Euro 2016 campaign due to a two-match ban that he earned for a straight red card in their qualifying campaign.
He has been on the Hammers’ radar since before Christmas with Bilic in the market for another playmaker that can help take the burden off France star Dimitri Payet.
Chelsea took Tore from Bayer Leverkusen’s academy but he failed to make the grade at Stamford Bridge before being shipped out to Hamburg, Rubin Kazan and then on to Besiktas.
And Canadian utility man Hutchinson, 33, was one of Bilic’s first signings when he took over in 2013, deploying the 17-cap international at right-back and as a holding midfielder.
His progress has been slower than Tore’s after playing for three Scandinavian sides before arriving in Turkey via Dutch side PSV.
The right-back position was problematic for Bilic last season with on-loan Arsenal man Carl Jenkinson ruled out for the campaign with torn knee ligaments in January.
The Hammers then brought in Sam Byram from Leeds but Bilic felt he was not ready for Premier League action and instead used Michail Antonio there to superb effect.
Bilic plucked striker Emmanuel Emenike from Turkish side Fenerbahce on loan last season but the Nigeria striker has returned after netting just twice in 16 appearances.