West Ham United could be looking to seal a second departure for midfielder Maxwell Cornet as David Moyes plans a move for a brand new striker in January.
The Hammers confirmed on Friday (5 January) the departure of Thilo Kehrer, who has joined French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco on a six-month loan deal worth £431,000, which will include a mandatory £9.5 million buy-out clause (Fabrizio Romano, 4 January).
Kehrer has racked up 12 appearances at the London Stadium so far this season, only four of them starting, and he could well be followed by fellow goalscorer Cornet, who has suffered badly for minutes under Moyes.
Cornet, who signed for Burnley in 2022 after some impressive performances at Turf Moor, has struggled to secure a regular place in the starting line-up, making just two league appearances without contributing a goal or an assist.
The Ivory Coast international has never really come to life in east London since his move in 2022, amassing 28 appearances for West Ham without a goal and six assists [Transfermarkt].
West Ham United certainly have priority positions to address in January, but they need to sell players to do so and it won’t be long before Moyes has chairman David Sullivan on the phone asking him to seal a healthy financial cash boost for the rarely-seen striker.
Turkish newspaper Takvim reported online (11 December) that Fenerbache were looking for reinforcements at centre-back and on the wings in the transfer window and that Cornet’s representatives were in talks.
Atletico journalist Roshane Thomas reported on Wednesday (3 January) that despite links to his services, the Hammers have not yet received any offers for Cornet, but West Ham United have already found a potential replacement, meaning Cornet could follow Kehrer through the door in a matter of days.
The Sun reported on 6 January that the Ironmen have already held preliminary talks with representatives of Ajax striker Steven Bergwijn to discuss a possible January transfer to the London Stadium.
On 6 January, the newspaper reported on its website that the Dutchman is desperate to return to the Premier League, although a deal is still a long way off as there is still a lot to be put together.
Also, a possible deal is said to be heavily dependent on whether the Kladivars can sell players to raise funds, while Ajax are unlikely to approve a loan for their club captain.
If West Ham United agree a transfer for the former Tottenham Hotspur striker, they will have to arrange Cornet’s departure, which could happen in a matter of days.