West Ham United will have to battle it out with other clubs to complete the signing of World Cup semi-finalist Youssef En-Nesyri, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.
The Hammers are said to have been interested in the Sevilla striker for quite some time, but manager David Moyes will now have to fend off competition from elsewhere if he wishes to bring him to the London Stadium.
West Ham transfer news - Youssef En-Nesyri
According to Spanish sources, via Sport Witness, West Ham went in for En-Nesyri in the summer transfer window, but had a bid in the region of £34m rebuffed by his club, a decision which Sevilla ended up regretting.
However, there may now be renewed interest in the 25-year-old due to his performances at the World Cup with Morocco, and another Spanish publication indicates that he would be open to a move to the Premier League in the upcoming window.
The same source states that his current employers would be open to selling the 54-time Morocco international, opening the door for a switch to the London Stadium, a move that Moyes may still be keen on, given the fact he described him as an "incredible good runner" in his latest column with the Times.
What has O'Rourke said about En-Nesyri?
O'Rourke confirms that West Ham have been in the running for En-Nesyri for a while and could go in for him again, given the poor return from their current strikers.
However, he believes that there may now be more clubs plotting a move, in light of his recent displays in Qatar, telling GIVEMESPORT: "He's been a long-term target for West Ham, they have struggled for goals again this season. Michail Antonio has not been as free scoring while Scamacca is still adapting to the Premier League.
"But for En-Nesyri, I think his performances at the World Cup for Morocco are just going to increase competition for his services, and there'll be more than just West Ham who might be interested in him."
How has En-Nesyri performed at the World Cup?
En-route to Morocco's remarkable quarter-final run in Qatar, the 6 foot 2 finisher became the first player for his national side ever to score in two separate World Cup's, having also scored in Russia in 2018, as per Ben Jacobs.
The £46k-a-week earner, as per Salary Sport, took his goal against Canada well, but in truth he has impressed in other ways during the tournament, winning seven duels in the round of 16 clash with Spain, including three in the air, the second-highest figure of anyone on the pitch, as per SofaScore.
This dominant display in the air adds to his repertoire over the past year, in which he has averaged 3.27 aerials won per 90 minutes, an improvement on the 1.95 recorded by Scamacca and 2.81 from Antonio over the same time period.
With Moyes clearly an admirer of En-Nesyri, it should not be a surprise to see him go in for him again in January, and he would provide good competition to the current options for a place in the starting lineup.