According to Le10 Sport, there has been a West Ham United update on their bid to sign Reims striker Hugo Ekitike, with an improved offer apparently made.
The Lowdown: West Ham eye last minute striker swoops?
As reliable reported by ExWHUemployee, the Irons and David Moyes see the French market as a real pool of talent, with the club eager to potentially take advantage.
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This has led to links with the likes of Mohamed Bayo of Clermont Foot and Bamba Dieng of Marseille in this last week of the transfer window with recruitment chief Rob Newman fast running out of time to make moves.
In a fresh update, it appears that West Ham have set their sights on signing Ekitike before January 31 as news emerges of an offer.
The Latest: Hammers table bid for Ekitike...
According to Le10 Sport, the Hammers have tabled a €25m (£20.8m) bid, plus bonuses, to sign the 19-year-old wonderkid this month.
This is an improvement on their original offer of around €15m (£12.5m) to Reims, but despite their revised proposal, the Ligue 1 outfit have rebuffed West Ham's newest approach.
It is believed that Reims think they can get even more money for Ekitike as the clock runs down on this transfer window.
The Verdict: Come back again?
As already confirmed by Reims' sporting director Jean-Pierre Caillot, speaking to Le Quotidien du Sport (via Get French Football News), it could take a grand total of €40m (£33.3m) to actually sign Ekitike. The club chief told French media earlier this month that his club will demand '€30m (£25m) flat and €10m (£8.3m) achievable bonuses' to sell the teenager before transfer deadline day.
Taking this into account, we believe that West Ham should move on, even despite Ekitike being called an 'outstanding talent' whilst drawing comparisons to Kylian Mbappe (Graeme Bailey via Twitter).
The teenager has no Premier League experience, and any fee over £30m for such a young prospect could prove to be a gamble.
In other news: ExWHUemployee: West Ham set for talks as they chase last minute agreement to sign 'quality' 25 y/o, find out more here.