West Ham and Fulham in battle for £15m-rated striker Wilfried Bony

Ivory Coast international attracting interest from the London clubs

Staff,Ken Dyer
Monday 25 March 2013 16:50 GMT
Comments
Wilfried Bony
Wilfried Bony (GETTY IMAGES)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Fulham have joined West Ham in the race to sign the highly rated Ivory Coast international Wilfried Bony.

It is understood that the Hammers, buoyed this week by the announcement that they will become the tenants of the Olympic Stadium, are prepared to smash the club record £11m they paid for Matt Jarvis last year in order to sign a forward for next season.

And it is the Vitesse Arnhem front man who is thought to top their wish list, with The Evening Standard reporting that a club source confirmed the 24-year-old is one player under consideration. Manager Sam Allardyce has prioritised a striker for next season.

The source also revealed that “five other Premier League clubs” are looking at the striker, including Fulham. The Dutch club want £15m for Bony, who has scored 26 goals in 24 league games this season.

West Ham have the fourth worst goal-scoring record in the Premier League this season, with just 32 goals in 29 games. Captain Kevin Nolan remains the leading scorer with six goals.

Allardyce, meanwhile, could sign a new deal as early as next month, providing the club ensure their safety in the Premier League.

There have been rumours that Harry Redknapp could return as manager next season should Queens Park Rangers be relegated and much may depend on Allardyce’s demands when talks begin on a new deal. It is understood, though, that the Hammers are optimistic that Allardyce will stay.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in