West Ham have been spending the majority of the month trying to find a new striker.

David Moyes’ side are in the market for a centre-forward following the departure of Sebastien Haller, who moved to Ajax, and left a giant hole behind him.

There have been links with a number of players as a result but the hunt is yet to bear any fruit, and a new report may shed some more light on why.

Boulaye Dia was linked as a potential target earlier this month but Sport Witness now carries a report from France Football, claiming that the Hammers opted against paying a big fee for the player.

Stade Reims wanted €15m (£13.3m) for the 24-year-old, who has only spent three seasons at the club.

He has scored 12 goals in 19 games in Ligue 1 this term, also laying on an assist, but the Irons were reluctant to pay such a fee for a player who has yet to truly prove his worth at a high level.

He has struggled for goals in previous seasons, netting seven in 24 games last season, and three in 18 in 2018/19.

The Hammers subsequently opted against making a move, but there is no guarantee they won’t swoop – the report claims that they will continue to monitor the forward’s progress.

Dia has also attracted interest from AC Milan, Napoli, and Torino, meaning the Irons could end up being gazumped.

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

This seems like the right thing to do.

West Ham do still need a striker but Dia remains something of a novice at the highest level and there is no telling if his current spell of form is merely a purple patch.

Spending a big fee on the player could have set him up for failure.

One has to feel the Irons would be better off pursuing a striker with genuine Premier League experience.

Dia, however good he may be, does not have that.