West Ham United have reportedly joined the race to sign Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin with the Hammers in desperate need of reinforcements up front.
What's the story?
According to The Sun, West Ham are looking to purchase the England striker after David Moyes was alerted that the Toffees may be forced to sell their prized asset to regain funds after years of over-spending.
However, the report suggests that the Hammers would have to pay their Premier League rivals £60m in order to lure the 24-year-old to east London, a fee that Moyes' side wouldn't be able to currently afford.
Although, if the price tag changes, the Irons will jump to the front of the queue in an attempt to sign the striker.
Calvert-Lewin's season has been halted by a toe injury that has limited the Englishman to just six Premier League appearances this season, with the striker only recently returning from a three-month spell on the sidelines.
Despite his lay-off, the Evertonian is still one of England's hottest talents and has the potential to evolve into a Premier League great.
West Ham must swoop for Calvert-Lewin
Granted, the price tag is steep, but Calvert-Lewin could prove to be exactly what West Ham are missing.
David Moyes has one senior striker in his squad in Michail Antonio, who has blown hot and cold this campaign. The Jamaica international has scored eight league goals this campaign, however, five of them came in the first six games of the Premier League season.
Those sorts of numbers aren't reliable for a side aiming to secure Champions League qualification, particularly if the player in question is the only one of his position in the squad.
Moreover, should Antonio miss a run of games through injury or suspension before the end of the season, the Hammers would suddenly be faced with a major predicament.
Prior to Calvert-Lewin's injury, the 24-year-old also started the 2021/22 campaign in red hot form, scoring in all three of the Toffees' opening games.
The striker has played three full games since returning from injury, with fitness still being regained slowly, and is yet to score.
Last season really saw the Englishman, described as a "special talent" by a former youth coach, come of age. The striker netted 21 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions, scoring once every 157.8 minutes. Evidently, that is considerably better than Antonio who is rather less potent.
It also saw Calvert-Lewin make an impact on the international stage, scoring on his senior England debut in a 3-0 romp of Wales. The striker went on to receive another ten caps, appearing off of the bench at the European Championship twice.
Rated at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, £60m is arguably a steep price for the Hammers to pay. However, if they were to pay it and secure a top-four finish with the help of the striker, West Hams would believe the deal to be worth every single penny.