West Ham United have joined the race to sign Villarreal striker Karl Toko-Ekambi, as reported by le10sport.

Lyon have also made a move for the 27-year-old, but that was way below the Spanish club's expectations, allowing West Ham and Newcastle United to register interest of their own.

It is said that they will demand €25m [£21.3m] for Toko-Ekambi, if the Hammers match the Cameroonian's valuation, they could reignite a previously thriving partnership.

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This comes with Fornals and Toko-Ekambi having linked up to great effect for the La Liga outfit during their time together, as shown in the infographic below.

There is only one other player who Toko-Ekambi has five joint goal participations with, Thomas Mangani, but that was achieved over 64 games, as opposed to the 39 played with Fornals.

Their respective form this season indicates that if they are able to reignite their partnership, it could be fruitful once again.

Across La Liga and the Copa del Rey, the forward has scored 11 goals and provided two assists from 12 starts and seven substitute appearances, showing just how clinical he can be.

Looking at Fornals, he has really come into his own in recent times. He had a stage where he recorded one goal and three assists in six Premier League matches. He also got a goal and assist to ensure that the Hammers made their way past Gillingham in the FA Cup.

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Having failed to get a single goal or assist in his opening 12 Premier League games, the fact that he has gone on to become so prolific in the final third is a definite sign of encouragement.

If Toko-Ekambi is added to the mix, there is somebody who can definitely make the most of that effectiveness towards the opposition's goal.

The striker also averages 1.1 dribbles per league game, indicating that he is not afraid to be direct with the ball at his feet, something that could even see him act as an ideal support player for Sebastien Haller.

The indication is that this could turn out to be a successful move for the Hammers, especially for Fornals.

Meanwhile, West Ham's transfer bid shows that they finally understand how severe their situation is.