West Ham United have made themselves known to hold an interest in bringing Villarreal striker Boulaye Dia to the Premier League, according to reports.
Are West Ham signing Boulaye Dia?
The Senegal international is owned by Villarreal having joined back in 2021 but spent last season out on loan at Salernitana, who do have the option to buy him available, and it’s fair to say that he made quite the impression during his time at the Arechi Stadium.
During his 33 appearances, the 26-year-old established himself as both Paulo Sousa’s overall and offensive top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.88, and this impressive form has seemingly grabbed the attention of David Moyes.
Back in May, Italian outlet Calciomercato reported that the Irons had shown an admiration in the centre-forward and were in pole position to secure his services, with the plan being that Salernitana would permanently purchase him to immediately sell him on for a profit where his expected price tag has now been revealed.
According to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), West Ham, alongside top-flight rivals Everton and Serie A side Fiorentina, have all "come forward" to sign Dia ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Irons do indeed hold an "interest" in the striker, but Salernitana will "try to resist" offers for their prized asset and are likely to demand "at least" €30m (£25m) to sanction his sale.
The Nike-sponsored star has recently undergone surgery on a knee injury, though it's stated that he'll only be on the sidelines for four weeks and therefore will be fully fit in time for the start of pre-season.
Should West Ham splash the cash on Dia?
In January, Michail Antonio reportedly told one of his close friends that he could have left West Ham in the closing stages of the transfer window, so there’s always a chance that he may depart over the summer, and should that be the case, Dia could be the perfect replacement, so it’s definitely worth the board testing the waters with an offer.
The Africa Cup winner was a force to be reckoned with at Salernitana, racking up a remarkable 22 goal contributions (16 goals and six assists) in 33 appearances where his outstanding form was rewarded by receiving four man-of-the-match trophies.
The Oyonnax native, who is a “handful to deal with” according to journalist Josh Bunting, is also always looking to produce moments of quality even if he’s not on the scoresheet having recorded 64 shot-creating actions last term which was the second-highest total throughout the whole of his squad, as per FBRef, so should the opportunity present itself, this really is a no-brainer of a deal to complete.