Reports: West Ham close to completing transfer of ex-Barcelona striker

What's the rumour?

West Ham have been very busy in the transfer window this summer, with the new boss, Manuel Pellegrini, looking to make a big impact in the Premier League in his second season. The last time he managed a club in the EPL, he won the league with Manchester City.

After signing 5 players this summer, West Ham are showing no signs of slowing down and are now actively pursuing a deal for ex-Barcelona striker, Antonio Sanabria, reports Sport Witness.

In case you didn't know...

Antonio Sanabria was a La Masia academy graduate and Roma snapped him up when he was just 18 years old for a fee of £7.5 million. He did not live up to all the hype that surrounded his move to the Serie A and many even spoke about how this was a poor move by Barcelona to let go of Sanabria.

He failed during his spell at Roma and was shipped to Real Betis where he has managed to catch the eye of new West Ham boss, Manuel Pellegrini. A deal in the region of £20 million is expected.

The heart of the matter

Roma sold the 22-year-old attacker to Betis with a clause stating that they have the first option on him for a fee of £14.5 million and will also earn 50% of any resale value that Sanabria fetches Real Betis.

Rumour Rating: 8/10

Pellegrini wants a new striker in his squad and with a long season ahead, you really need more than two strikers. Sanabria could come in handy for the club as the new season rolls on. There has been no news in the past few days about Roma willing to activate their clause in his contract, so the striker is most probably heading to West Ham United.

What's next?

Pellegrini has managed to buy a host of new players including the likes of Felipe Anderson and Jack Wilshere. Surely the club are looking at a European spot for next season and with Pellegrini's experience, it is highly possible.

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