West Ham make first move to sign £40,000-a-week striker instead of Troy Parrott

West Ham United have made an approach to sign Leeds United striker Joel Piroe as an alternative to AZ Alkmaar star Troy Parrott.

After losing Callum Wilson, who has signed for Brentford on a free transfer, West Ham are looking to bring in a new cente-forward, and Piroe could tick a lot of boxes.

First and foremost, the 27-year-old is tried and tested at Championship level, picking up 73 goals and 18 assists in 179 second tier games across spells with Leeds and Swansea City.

The one-cap Suriname international, who earns £40,000-a-week at Elland Road, has also received major plaudits from manager Daniel Farke, who said: “It’s not about individual statistics but Joel definitely deserves more praise. He is an unbelievable finisher for us. For me, he is the best finisher in this league and, when it comes to finishing, there is not one player better than him.”

Should the Hammers achieve promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt, there are doubts about whether the Leeds man would be able to make the step-up, considering he received just 246 minutes of game time in the top flight last season.

However, Nuno‘s number one priority will be to return to the Premier League as quickly as possible, which means the Netherlands-born striker could be the ideal addition to his squad, and the Irons are now ramping up their pursuit.

According to a report from Sky Sports, West Ham have now made their first move to sign Piroe, having held talks with Leeds.

The former PSV Eindhoven man could be signed as an alternative to Parrott, as talks regarding a deal for the Irishman have stalled, after a bid of around £17m was rejected earlier this month.

AZ Alkmaar are demanding around £21.5m for their talisman, which means the two clubs aren’t too far apart, but talks have stalled following the failed opening offer.

However, should West Ham be willing to return to the negotiating table, the Dublin-born marksman could be an exciting signing, having amassed a whopping 51 goals and 17 assists in 97 matches since joining AZ Alkmaar.

That said, a record of just three goals and one assist in 43 Championship matches prior to signing for the Dutch side isn’t exactly impressive, which means signing Piroe could be the safer option.