West Ham emissaries keeping tabs on 17-G/A Argentine ahead of summer move | OneFootball

West Ham United are keen on signing the Bologna striker Santiago Castro at the end of the season.

The 20-year-old has been quite impressive for the Italian club and he has nine goals and eight assists to his name in all competitions. He is a target for Inter Milan as well and a report from FC Inter News claims that West Ham United emissaries are keeping tabs on his development.

He has been linked with Arsenal and Aston Villa and Chelsea has scouted him in the past.

The striker is expected to cost around €25-30 million. It will be interesting to see if West Ham United come forward with an offer to sign the player at the end of the season.

West Ham need Santiago Castro

Santiago Castro celebrates a goal for Bologna (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

It is no secret that they need to sign a quality goal scorer in the summer.

They signed Niclas Fullkrug at the start of the season and the German has struggled to make the desired impact. He has had persistent injury problems as well. Signing a reliable goal-scorer will be a top priority for West Ham heading into the summer transfer window.

The talented young Argentine striker could be the ideal long-term acquisition for them. He will help score goals and create opportunities for his teammates. The opportunity to move to the Premier League will be quite exciting for the 20-year-old and it would be a major step up in his career. Regular football in England could accelerate his development and help him fulfil his world-class potential.

The reported asking price seems quite reasonable for a player of his potential and the deal could look like a master stroke in the long-term if the South American manages to adapt to English football and fulfil his potential with the Hammers.

Castro will be expected to form a lethal partnership with Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus in the attack next season. It remains to be seen whether West Ham can sign the player.