West Ham 'in contact' with £25m Tottenham Hotspur striker target

West Ham are said to be in the race to sign Genoa striker Albert Gudmundsson this summer but could face fierce competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Serie A’s Inter Milan.

The Hammers are preparing for a huge summer of transfers with new head coach Julen Lopetegui tasked with hauling the squad back into the Premier League’s top six. The focus has been on improving West Ham’s defensive line after they conceded 74 goals in 38 Premier League fixtures last campaign, but the former Wolves boss is also seeking new reliable attackers with Gudmundsson one player in apparent contention.

The Iceland international will be available for a reported €30-35 million (£25-29m) this summer and while sources have informed CaughtOffside that Inter are leading the contest for his signature, there has been rising interest from England and Saudi Arabia for Gudmundsson’s services.

Both Spurs and the Irons are said to have had contact with Gudmundsson’s current club to receive information on a potential deal with the two London clubs also indicating they would be willing to make a move for the 27-year-old.

Inter are said to be doing all they can to advance the negotiations with Genoa, but both Spurs and West Ham are hopeful of bringing in some much needed fire power to their ranks this summer. Tottenham are still on the hunt for a signing up front with Harry Kane still not fully replaced after joining Bayern Munich last summer. Similarly, while Michail Antonio has been a hugely crucial figure in the London Stadium dressing rooms, at 34-years-old, he is not the same player that first arrived in Stratford nearly ten years ago.

Julen Lopetegui will also be looking for the team to become less reliant on Jarrod Bowen for goals and with Gudmundsson having scored 30 goals in all competitions for his club over the last two seasons, the new Irons head coach could well eye the Icelandic star as a key attacking target.

The London Stadium side will have a reported budget of £85-100 million this transfer season but there is said to be huge confidence in sporting director Tim Steidten who was known for his ‘savvy’ budget management at Bayer Leverkusen. At a potential fee of £25m, Gudmundsson remains a potential figure but as Serie A champions, Inter Milan may offer the more appealing future.