West Ham transfer news: Hammers have £31m Alexandre Lacazette bid rejected as Eddie Howe hits out at double-offer

West Ham offered £31m for the Lyon striker as well as £25m for Bournemouth's Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson

West Ham have had a £31m offer for Alexandre Lacazette rejected by Lyon (Getty)

West Ham have seen a club-record £31m offer for Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette rejected on the same day as their double-swoop for Bournemouth’s Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson was revealed, with Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe criticising the Hammers for their early transfer business.

The move for Lacazette would have more than doubled the £15m West Ham paid Liverpool for Andy Carroll in 2013, a deal that remains the club’s record purchase given Lyon rejected their advances for the France international.

The 24-year-old has excelled once again this season, having followed up his Ligue 1-leading haul of 27 goals in 2014/15 with an impressive 21 goals this term – second only to Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Lacazette was unlucky to miss out on France’s Euro 2016 squad, with Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko and Andre-Pierre Gignac – who is currently playing in Mexico with Tigres – preferred as well as West Ham’s Dimitri Payet.

Lacazette’s future has come under question in the past after earning the interest of both Arsenal and Chelsea through his exploits in Ligue 1, although he decided last summer that Lyon remained the best location for him to continue his development despite widespread interest across Europe.

One of those clubs interested is PSG, with L’Equipe reporting that they will attempt to sign Lacazette this summer to replace Ibrahimovic, who will leave the Parisians at the end of the season when his contract expires. Lyon’s determination to hold out for a fee closer to £40m is enough to put off West Ham, but falls well within PSG’s extravagant transfer budget and the French champions have moved to the front of the pack that is chasing Lacazette’s signature.

The valuation has led to West Ham switching targets to Liverpool striker Christian Benteke, who has already cropped up as a possible transfer target given his poor season with the Merseyside club. Benteke has been tipped to leave, with former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson saying his departure will “definitely” happen, and The Sun claims that the east London side will launch a move for the Belgium international in what may be an initial loan deal.

Matt Ritchie was subject of a £25m offer from West Ham along with Callum Wilson (Getty)

The developments come after Bournemouth manager Howe launched an attack on Slaven Bilic and West Ham for attempting to sign players before the Cherries had completed their season. The Hammers, who will only qualify for the Europa League next season if Manchester United win the FA Cup, offered £25m for both Ritchie and Wilson, but Howe criticised the timing of the offer given that Bournemouth were concentrating on Tuesday night’s rearranged fixture at United.

"You've got the whole summer to bid for players. I don't understand that,” said Howe after the 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford.

"But the bid was rejected and we have no intention to sell."


 Both Wilson and Ritchie faced United despite the transfer uncertainty 
 (Getty)

Howe also explained the effect Sunday’s postponement – due to a fake bomb scare caused by a security company leaving a dummy device in the toilets at Old Trafford – had on his side, who mentally had to refocus on the season that they will have expected to have been over.

"I think it was difficult for everyone connected with our club,” he added. "Mentally, for the players, I think they obviously had a lot of plans beyond the game on Sunday, as you would at the end of the season, and suddenly those have to change."