RB Salzburg striker Patson Daka has turned down the advances of West Ham United, according to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Daka was prolific for the Austrian champions last season, scoring 27 goals in 28 league appearances. On average, he netted every 72 minutes.

The Zambian international is valued at £19.8million by Transfermarkt and has three years remaining on his contract.

The report states that West Ham are among the clubs to have registered their interest in signing the 22-year-old.

The latest

Daka's camp has communicated the player's intention to move to a higher-level club.

As well as West Ham, who have qualified for next season's Europa League, he has rejected Ligue 1 outfit Monaco.

The Irons are in the market for a striker who can offer 'cover and competition' for Michail Antonio.

'Many other' Premier League teams are hopeful of landing Daka, with a recruitment source revealing the Hammers' failed interest.

The verdict

This is a blow for West Ham, who would have hoped that European qualification would have boosted their pulling power.

However, Daka may not quite as good as his league record suggests. He failed to score in the Champions League group stages or the Europa League Round of 32 this season, for instance, so perhaps is benefitting from player in a much inferior domestic league.

While suitors will be hoping that he can emulate Erling Haaland in thriving after leaving Austria, he could just as easily struggle like former team-mates Takumi Minamino and Hee-chan Hwang, who failed to score a league goal for RB Leipzig in 2020/21.

In other news, West Ham fans reacted to this development in their pursuit of a centre-back.