West Ham target former Saints striker Pelle as King alternative

James Holland
Pelle West Ham F365

West Ham could attempt to sign former Southampton striker Graziano Pelle if they fail to land Joshua King, according to a report.

The Hammers have been closely linked with King as an option to improve their attacking prowess during the January transfer window.

They failed to land him in the summer as the Cherries rejected a £13 million bid.


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According to the Daily Star, West Ham chiefs will target free agent Pelle if their move for King fails.

Pelle last played in the Premier League for Southampton, where he scored 30 goals in 80 games.

He is currently available on a free transfer after leaving Chinese side Shandong Luneng recently.

That makes him potentially the cheapest option for the Hammers, who want to add more firepower to their attack.

Star man Michail Antonio has been unavailable since picking up a hamstring injury in November.

Sebastien Haller is their current first team striker, but the 26-year-old has only scored three league goals this campaign.

Pelle would provide manager David Moyes with an alternative up front. He’s a proven Prem performer who was a vital part of Southampton’s success in the 2015/16 season.

The Italian scored 11 goals and registered seven assists as the Saints finished an impressive sixth.

Questions will arise over Pelle’s age, however. The striker is now 35-years-old, which means he is certainly not a long term solution for the Hammers.

When asked if his team will sign anyone in January, Moyes told talkSPORT: “I’d like to try, but people have got to realise there aren’t the crowds at the stadiums so we’re not getting the same revenue coming in.

“A club like West Ham, we need to be really careful and I’d want to make careful and correct signings.

“Last January we brought in Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen. They’ve made an incredible difference to us, so if we can bring in players like that I would definitely do it.

“But finding them and getting them, that’s the other bit. We’ll look at all things and see exactly what we’re going to do.”