Everton are reportedly fighting with West Ham United over a deal to sign AS Roma striker Artem Dovbyk, according to the Spanish newspaper Transfers.
After joining Girona from Ukrainian side SC Dnipro-1 a few years ago, the 28-year-old put in impressive performances in La Liga, scoring 24 goals and registering 10 assists in all competitions.
He was the highest scorer in the Spanish top flight during his debut season and led his side to Champions League qualification by finishing in the top four.
Impressed by the Ukrainian, Roma bought him last year. He showed glimpses of his qualities in the Italian capital under Claudio Ranieri last season, scoring 20 goals in all tournaments. He even helped his team qualify for the Europa League.
However, he found it difficult to break into new manager Gian Piero Gasperini’s starting line-up this season, making just six starts. Dovbyk has even been sidelined in recent weeks due to an injury problem.
Now, Transfers claims that Gasperini Dovbyk does not see a long-term future in the French capital, so Roma are prepared to cash in on him next year.
West Ham want a new striker next month and are ‘seriously’ considering signing the Roma star by taking advantage of his current situation. They even had conversations to learn more about the details of signing him.
Conflict
However, the signing of the striker will not be easy for the east London club as Everton and Sunderland are also interested in him and have made contact to complete the deal.
West Ham are looking to overhaul their front line in January, with the club close to selling Niclas Fullkrug to AC Milan. Apart from the German, the Hammers currently have Callum Wilson as the only specialist centre-forward.
On the other hand, Everton have Thierno Barry and Beto as striker options. However, the duo have struggled to produce their best performances in the Premier League this season.
Dovbyk, valued at around £17 million Transfer marketis a physically strong old-school striker and could be a smart signing for West Ham or Everton, should either club ultimately manage to secure his services in January.
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