Aston Villa want to sign a brilliant 145-goal star before Paulo Fonseca has the chance to bring him to West Ham.
West Ham and Aston Villa find themselves in two very contrasting situations right now.
The Hammers are at a managerial crossroads with the club looking increasingly likely to part company with David Moyes when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Meanwhile Aston Villa have just tied down their coveted boss Unai Emery to a new long-term deal.
West Ham are maintaining that no decision will be made on Moyes until the end of the campaign.
The Hammers face a major rebuild this summer requiring between 10-12 players. Whereas Aston Villa just need to add a handful of players in key positions.
West Ham have to get their manager situation sorted first, though.
The problem with that is it gives rival clubs such as Villa – who know exactly who their manager is next season – a headstart on summer business.
One area of focus at West Ham will be on signing a top quality new forward.
West Ham and Villa both linked with striker
Moyes opted not to sign a replacement for Gianluca Scamacca after selling him in the summer. That has looked an increasingly unwise decision.
Michail Antonio turns 35 next season and Danny Ings is expected to leave this summer having barely played since his £15m arrival from Villa.
Last month journalist Graeme Bailey revealed Lille’s Jonathan David very much remains on West Ham’s radar for a summer move having been linked for several windows.
The 24-year-old Canada striker is not the only person at Lille on the Hammers hitlist, though.
West Ham are being heavily linked with a move for David’s manager Paulo Fonseca – who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Now Aston Villa want to sign brilliant 145-goal star David before Fonseca can bring him to West Ham.
Villa want star before Fonseca can bring him to West Ham
TMW claims Villa are ‘seriously interested’ in making a move for David in the summer.
Napoli, Milan and Manchester United are also credited with an interest in the longstanding West Ham target.
The report claims Villa want David as they eye another top striker to help cope with the demands of Champions League football.
David has been identified as a “concrete target” by Emery – which will be ringing alarm bells in the office of West Ham technical director Tim Steidten.
Especially as Portuguese manager Fonseca appeared to leave the door open for him to join the Hammers as Moyes’ successor yesterday.
Many feel David, who is set to be sold by Lille this summer as he will have only one year left on his contract, would be top of Fonseca’s wishlist should he join West Ham.
Hammers could have manager as ace card
Especially as the versatile forward has shone under West Ham’s prospective new boss with 24 goals and eight assists in 44 appearances this season.
The Hammers have been heavily linked with Lille’s goal scorer in the past. And it has been previously by Calcio Mercato that the player likes the idea of joining West Ham.
Speaking in an interview with La Voix du Nord last year, David admitted he can see himself leaving Lille and only has eyes for the Premier League.
Villa will obviously have Champions League football to offer David. But he can get that at Lille thanks to the excellent job being done by Fonseca.
West Ham will be hoping more guaranteed game time and the potential of working with his current manager can lure him to east London.
Villa and Hammers fans can see what they would be getting in the video below.