Leicester target tops sought-after striker list with Lacazette out
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Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette looks unlikely to make a Premier League move this summer despite Les Gones chairman Jean-Michel Aulas claiming he had rejected a £43m bid from West Ham, as the France forward has been struck down with a knee injury.
It seems there’s still plenty of striking talent on the market though, with the quintet of forwards below all making headlines.
Leicester want Sporting Lisbon’s Islam Slimani
West Brom were plotting a £21m move for this Algeria international, whose capture following a massive haul of 27 Primeira Liga goals for Sporting last term may have made up for Baggies boss Tony Pulis’ tortured summer so far in the transfer market.
They may have been scared off by interest from Arsenal and Leicester, with the Premier League champions reportedly seeing a £25m bid knocked back for PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez’s international teammate.
Liverpool want Gremio’s Luan
Brazilian forwards are all the rage this summer, with Manchester City shelling out £30m for Gabriel Jesus, then leaving him at Palmeiras until January, while Gabriel Barbosa left Santos for Inter in a £20m switch days ago.
Now Liverpool are getting in on the act, reportedly bidding £30m for mooted Manchester United target Luan, who bagged twice en route to the Canarinho winning Olympic gold on home soil.
West Ham want Manchester City’s Wilfried Bony
The man they call ‘Daddy Cool’ may never replicate his fine Premier League scoring form with Swansea between 2013 and 2015, when Bony bagged 26 goals from 54 appearances following 31 in 30 Eredivisie outings the previous campaign at Vitesse.
However, should the Irons pick him up for around the £20m mark it will look like good business, as the 27-year-old managed eight goals for City in all competitions last season, despite starting only 18 times.
Everton want Napoli’s Manolo Gabbiadini
The Toffees might not fancy being dragged into another transfer morass by the Partenopei after seeing centre-back target Kalidou Koulibaly’s price rise to £50m, with Chelsea’s keenness complicating matters somewhat.
Gabbiadini is reportedly rated at just shy of £20m by his club, despite accruing a modest tally of 53 goals in 196 senior appearances so far in his career, which shows the raving madness of this transfer window.
New Goodison Park chief Ronald Koeman is also thought to be battling West Ham for Bony’s signature.
Hull want Manchester United’s Will Keane
Leaving Old Trafford hasn’t done Keane’s twin brother Michael any harm, with plenty tipping the Burnley centre-half for full England honours soon and champions Leicester reportedly seeing a £15m move for the 23-year-old rejected two months ago.
Striker Will has had chances on loan at Preston, Sheffield Wednesday, QPR and Wigan over the last three seasons, scoring just four times in his past 48 league appearances, 32 of which were starts.
That record doesn’t make particularly good reading for Tigers fans, but Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane hardly pulled up trees during his four loan moves away from White Hart Lane, so there’s hope yet for Keane.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
