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This article is part of Football FanCast's Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news...

Valencia believe that West Ham United are closing in on the signing of striker Maxi Gomez, per Tribuna Deportiva journalist Hector Gomez.

What’s the word?

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The Celta Vigo forward is wanted by both Los Che and the Hammers and has been at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war throughout the summer transfer window.

West Ham’s interest in Gomez dates back to January, Football FanCast understands, and he was initially identified as a potential replacement for Marko Arnautovic amid his first flirtation with a move to the Far East.

Now that the Austria international has finally departed the club for Shanghai SIPG, FFC understands that the Hammers are again trying to get a deal done.

And Gomez, who covers Valencia, reports that the Spanish club think the player is slipping out of their grasp.

The Uruguay international has a €50m (£44.8m) release clause in his contract.

A long time coming

This should have happened in January.

Celta told West Ham then, per FFC sources, that they would have to meet the release clause in the striker’s contract to sign him.

Now, it appears that the Irons may well have struck a deal and it comes at a time when the club are desperately short of strikers.

Lucas Perez, Andy Carroll and Arnautovic have all left, while Javier Hernandez is expendable, FFC understands, and it means a total refresh up front is required.

Bringing Gomez in is a solid first step but it will have to be followed up by more business if the Hammers are to remain competitive in 2019/20.

After all, sticking with one senior striker feels like a recipe for disaster; it bears repeating, then, that Gomez should’ve been secured in January and given the subsequent six months to bed in.